Corona
by SlytherinFan15
Summary: What's scarier than becoming a vampire? How about getting married, starting an Ivy league college, and having to hide everything from my parents. And then there are the dead co-eds, and everyone thinks I did it. Alternate version of book four.
1. Prologue and Breaking the News

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. I'm merely playing in Stephanie Meyer's sandbox. Everything belongs to her brilliant mind.

* * *

"So dear I love him that with him,  
All deaths I could endure.  
Without him, live no life."  
- William Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_

Prologue

Some things can only be seen when the world is at its darkest, like the corona of the sun. My world was dark now, but I could see the corona of my life, and for the few minutes it would last, I embraced it. Perhaps to die had always been my purpose in living.

I walked out of the forest toward the small form waiting for me. If this is what it took to save Edward, to save my entire family, I would gladly go forward to meet my demise. The life of one traded for the lives of many, it seemed a small price to pay.

The girl smiled at me, happy that I had come alone. It probably saved them just as much trouble as it did me. I wondered if she would regret her actions later, when she discovered she had been wrong all along and the murders didn't stop. No, she was not the type to feel guilt. She was simply doing her job. And I was doing mine.

And then another form emerged from the trees behind her and my private moon shifted. It wasn't a brief eclipse that had darkened my world, it was all out Armageddon. Too late I realized to die now would save no one.

Chapter 1

Breaking the News

The sun had finally set. Not that it had shone at all during the day. Rain was supposed to be good luck on your wedding day, right? I was going to need luck, and as Edward liked to remind me, I seemed to attract anything but. However, I needed luck today. I needed to walk gracefully down the Cullens' staircase without falling and breaking my neck, which would take a miracle thanks to the shoes Alice had picked out for me. I was going to need more luck to not faint as I stood before fifty guests, every one watching me. And if I wasn't lucky tonight, I might just end up dead, since I was requiring Edward to fulfill a desired "human experience" of mine in less than ten hours. Please, let it pour.

I was barely aware of my mother's hovering as she circled me constantly, finding invisible things to fluff or pick at. I had grown used to it in the last two weeks she had been in Forks, helping finalize the weddings plans. Not that Alice needed any help, but Renee didn't know I had a superhuman vampire for a wedding planner. I supposed I should be happy my mother was here at all, considering her initial reaction to Edward's and my engagement.

* * *

Edward insisted on driving me to my house so we could tell Charlie about the engagement. I think he suspected that I would never do it if left on my own. He was probably right. As Edward pulled into the driveway, the porch light reflected off the wet windshield of Charlie's cruiser. I tried desperately to remember if there was a game on tonight, not that it really mattered. I was pretty sure the words 'Hi Dad, Edward and I are getting married in two months' could distract Charlie from game seven of the World Series.

"Dad, I'm home," I called as we entered. I heard an answering grunt from the lazy boy. That answered my question about the game.

For a second I almost chickened out. I stood frozen in the foyer, reasoning that waiting to tell Charlie would be better. Perhaps hold off till after the game… if his team won. If not…well, I didn't want to completely ruin his night.

"Bella, we should tell him now." Edward's lips nearly touched my left ear. I could feel his breath as he spoke the words, making my knees go weak.

These were the times I doubted it when he said my mind was his only enigma. How else did he know I was about to wimp out?

"Easy for you to say," I returned softly. "You get to leave after this. I'm stuck in the house with Charlie."

Edward laughed lightly. "But I always come back."

True, but Charlie didn't know about Edward's nightly visits, and he wouldn't be the one having to deal with a grumpy Charlie for the next two months.

"Bella, you have to tell him now. Alice isn't going to let you keep this a secret for very long."

I swiveled to face him. "What?" I suddenly felt inexplicably ill. What had Alice done now?

"She sent one of our prom pictures to the newspaper, to print with the engagement notice." He was trying to look somber as he said this, but I could see the sides of his mouth twisting upward in amusement.

"Just wait till I'm…" I choked on the word 'changed,' "…stronger. Engagement notice! I never okayed that!"

"You only demanded veto power for the guest list," he reminded me with a crooked smirk.

I continued to glare at him, sure he had been in on the engagement notice. That's all I needed, the whole town of Forks knowing I was getting married. This was going to be the biggest topic of gossip for months. However, the anger faded as Edward stared me down, his amber eyes locked with mine, and his lips just inches from my own.

"You can do this." His finger traced my jaw line slowly. "I'll be right next to you, holding your hand."

I sighed in defeat and grabbed a granite hand. "Dad, can I talk to you for a few minutes," I called, hoping the slight hysteria I heard in my own voice wasn't discernible to anyone else.

"Sure, Bells." I knew he had caught the panicked quiver in my voice, because he reached over and muted the television. "Is something wrong?"

Well that depended on your definition of 'wrong.' If getting married at eighteen and running off to become a vampire was right, then no, nothing was wrong. "No, Dad, nothing is wrong. Edward and I just have something to tell you."

I paused, hoping Charlie would say something first, or that perhaps Edward, being the half of us who was actually happy about the marriage thing, might blurt out the news. But Charlie seemed stunned into silence and Edward remained silent at my side, still grasping my hand firmly. The corners of his stony lips were pulled tight, and I could tell he was trying very hard not to smile. I wondered what he could hear in Charlie's mind to cause that reaction.

"Edward and I are getting married," I murmured, keeping my eyes on the floor. There, I'd said it, could we leave now?

Edward did smile now, but I couldn't tell if was out of actual happiness or because of Charlie's mental reaction. I guessed the second.

"Dad, please say _something_." I pulled my hand away from Edward to wriggle the glittering ring, just for effect.

Charlie finally drew a ragged breath. "Bella, are you sure…"

"Yes, Dad. I'm absolutely sure that I want to spend the rest of my life, my existence, with Edward."

"I see." Charlie looked like a bomb had just gone off in front on him. "You know I just want you to be happy, Bella." His face changed suddenly and a glimmer of something entered his eyes. "So what date were you thinking of? I'm sure a longer engagement would be best. Allow you two to get a few years of college under your belts." So that's what that look was: hope. Hope that I would wait and find someone else at school.

Again I shook my head. "No, Dad, we've talked about it, and we'd like to get married this summer. The sooner the better."

Charlie's face fell. "By god Bella. So soon! Are you pregnant?"

I felt the blood pounding in my cheeks and knew I had gone bright red. I glanced at Edward and met his eyes briefly. I could see the laughter he dared not release.

"Dad!" I moaned. "No, I'm not pregnant. I'm not marrying Edward because I have to, but because I want to." Okay, so that was a little bit of a lie. I did _have_ to marry Edward, but that was so my own selfish demands could be met, not because I was carrying his love child.

Charlie went silent again, before suddenly turning towards Edward. For a second I thought he might hit him, or try to strangle him, but he simply asked, "How do your parents feel about this?"

Edward smiled genuinely. "They couldn't be happier, sir. Alice has already appointed herself the wedding planner."

I grumbled something about Alice under my breath, but Charlie didn't seem to have heard. He fell silent, thinking again.

"You won't need to worry about anything, sir," Edward continued, and I wondered if he was tactfully answering some of the questions swimming through Charlie's brain. "My parents have already offered to pay for and host the wedding." Charlie was worried about paying for a wedding? I'd have to ask Edward later about Charlie's exact thoughts.

"Please, Dad," I added. "I know you think it's sudden, but it's what I, what we," I looked over at Edward, "want. And I really want my dad to walk me down the aisle."

Charlie's face softened at that. He suddenly pushed himself out of his recliner and scooped me into a bone crushing hug.

"Dad! Need air!" I squeaked, trying to wiggle free.

"Sorry," he replied, finally releasing me. I blushed again, from his sudden affection. Charlie didn't usually hug. "I guess I need to accept that my little girl is all grown up."

"Dad, please don't start that now."

"But it's the truth, Bella. And I do need to accept it. If you believe Edward will make you happy, then I will be more than honored to give you away." I bit my lip. There was no use getting into a feminist argument over the fact that I belonged to no one and thus only I could give myself away. I simply tried to appreciate Charlie's sentiment, and the fact he hadn't yet pulled his gun on Edward.

Charlie rounded on Edward next. "And you," he started, a hard tone creeping back into his voice. "I expect you to take very good care of my Bella. If I ever find out you've hurt her again…"

"Dad!" I shouted. Charlie had most definitely overstepped his bounds.

"No, Bella." Edward held out his hand to silence me. "Your father has every right to that statement." He turned back to meet Charlie's glare. "I promise you, sir, that I will never again hurt Bella, and I want you to know that I would give my life to keep her safe."

Charlie nodded, apparently accepting the oath. He sat back down in his recliner and un-muted the game. I took that to mean the discussion was over, and that Edward and I had his blessings.

Edward and I moved toward the kitchen, but I stopped as I heard Charlie call my name. "Bella, don't forget to call your mother and tell her the good news."

I groaned as Edward laughed. "And what, exactly, is so funny about all of this?" I snapped.

"Charlie's hoping Renee will put her foot down and we'll forget this whole wedding thing."

I knew Charlie had taken it too well. "Well, he might very well be right about that," I replied, as I reached a trembling hand toward the phone.

As I dialed the familiar numbers, I instinctively knew telling Renee would be much harder than telling Charlie. Not because I feared what she would think of us marrying so young, but because I knew she would realize what Charlie did not; that my marrying Edward was a start of a new life, a life that I would not be able to include them in. Renee would know it was a goodbye.

I thought I might be lucky enough to catch her voice mail as the line rang for the fourth time, but suddenly she picked up, sounding a little breathless. "Hello."

"Hi, Mom," I responded. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not at all dear. I just couldn't find the phone. It was buried under the newspapers. Did I tell you I'm trying decoupage?"

"No, mom. Do you like it?" I wondered how long this stint into crafting would go. I'd bet money on about a month, a month and a half at the most.

"Well, to be honest, it's a little more complicated than I first thought..." Make that two weeks, tops. "So what were you calling about, Bella?"

Oh, you know. Just letting you know I'm getting married and breaking all the promises I made to you about waiting until I was thirty. Then I'm going to join a vampire coven, so that the royal Italian vampires don't kill me. Or any other vampires for that matter. Unfortunately I'll want to rip your throat out, so I won't be able to see you for awhile.

"Well, Mom, I have some news that might surprise you. Please don't freak out?"

"Bella, what's wrong? What happened? I can be there in half a day, just let me tell Phil..."

"Mom!" I yelled in the receiver. "You don't need to come to Forks now. I'm calling to tell you that Edward and I are engaged."

Silence radiated from the other end. I was afraid that maybe she had passed out, or perhaps was hyperventilating. But I figured I would have heard the thud, or the gasps, or something. This was just...nothing. "Mom, are you still there?"

"Oh my god, Bella, you're pregnant, aren't you? I knew I never should have let you go live with your father. I'm going to hang up and call the airport right now..."

"Mom!" I was sick of shouting. "I'm not pregnant!" I heard Edward snicker audibly this time and shot him a dirty look.

"You're not? Bella, I don't understand. If you're not in _trouble_ then why are you getting married?"

"Because I'm in love, Mom, why else?" I rolled my eyes as I said it, even though Renee couldn't see me.

"Bella, didn't I teach you anything..."

"Edward and I aren't like you and Dad," I assured. "I know you think I'm too young, but even if I waited until I was thirty, it would still be Edward. Besides, I've always been mature for my age." I couldn't help but smile as I pictured Renee's face. She couldn't deny that I had been the mature one out of us two.

"I do think you are too young."

"Mom, I'm not asking for your permission. I'm informing you of what has conspired." I was tired of this. I knew every reason why I shouldn't get married yet. I'd run them through my head every day since Edward first proposed, yet I'd ignored them for a few selfish benefits. Really good benefits, yes, but selfish none the less.

"Bella..."

"Mom, please. Nothing you can say will change my mind. I thought you deserved to know, though, and I really want you and Phil to be there."

"Bella, why are you making it sound like you're getting married next weekend? Weddings are expensive, they take months, sometimes years, to plan."

"Not when you're marrying a Cullen," I replied dryly, hoping mom mistook the lack of excitement as anger towards her rather than true unease about Alice's planning.

"How soon?"

"Before my birthday," I replied. "We don't have an exact date yet. I should be able to let you know within the week."

"Bella..."

This was getting old. "Great. I'll talk to you then, Mom. Love you. Bye." I hung up the receiver before Renee could say anything else. Edward chuckled again.

"I'm glad _you_ find this amusing," I snarled. He just laughed harder.

"Sorry, Bella, love. But can't you see what is so funny? You argued against this for so long, and now I get to listen to you rationalize it to your parents."

"You know I'm only doing this because it makes you happy, and because I get my demands met."

"I know, and I love you all the more for it." He wrapped his stony arms around me from behind, effectively pinning my arms against my torso, and pulled me against him. I tried focusing on breathing as he moved his lips methodically, starting at my temple and working his way down to my shoulder. Why was I arguing with him? Honestly, other than Renee's brainwashing, was there a good reason not to be over the moon about marrying Edward? My love drunk brain didn't think so.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, dazzled in Edward's embrace. Probably only a few minutes before the shrill ring of the phone forced him to release me.

I picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Oh, Bella. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. You just surprised me, that's all. I knew you and Edward were serious when you visited, but I wasn't expecting this so soon. Of course I don't expect you to wait until you're thirty before you get married. I just wanted to protect you from my mistakes, but I know you have to do what you feel is right. And of course Phil and I will be attending…"

"Mom," I interrupted, "calm down." I couldn't help but smile at Renee's sudden enthusiasm. "I forgive you."

* * *

"Bella? Bella?" I shook my head slightly. My mother watched me worriedly.

"Sorry, I was daydreaming," I responded. "What did you need?"

"I don't need anything, darling. Jasper wants to know if he can tell the guests to be seated so the ceremony to start?"

My head automatically turned toward the door Alice was guarding. Only Jasper's blonde head was visible as he poked it into the room. "Are you ready, Bella?" he asked.

To be honest, no. I felt like there a colony of butterflies lived in my stomach, and they desperately wanted out. "I'm ready," I replied more quietly that I had intended, but I knew he had heard anyway. His head disappeared and the door snapped shut.

Renee instantly began fussing with my gown again. "Mom, it's fine." I complained.

"Sorry." She pulled her hands away and started pulling at her own dress instead. I just shook my head softly. At least there was one person here who was as nervous as I.

Rosalie rose from where she had sat silently for the last hour and gently puffed her dress. She and Alice both looked stunning in gold colored, floor length bridesmaids dresses. Alice had gotten them custom made. The high necks and lacy sleeves of the nineteen-tens weren't very popular anymore. I was actually pleased, for once, that they looked better than me. At least this way they would suck up a lot of the attention that would normally be entirely focused on me, the bride.

* * *

A/N: I love reviews! Please make my day.


	2. Jealousy and Empathy

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephanie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 2

Jealousy and Empathy

Just before we moved out of the room, into the second floor hallway, I pulled Alice aside. "Please tell me I'm not going to make a fool of myself today?"

She stood stock still and closed her amber eyes, concentrating hard for a few seconds. When she opened her eyes again, she was smiling. "Everything is going to go smoothly, Bella."

I looked at her for a moment, relieved. Then an unpleasant thought crossed my mind. "You wouldn't tell me otherwise, would you?"

"No," she laughed and danced past me into the hallway. She took her spot with Jasper at the front of the line. I could hear soft music drifting up from the Cullen's huge, open first floor.

My eyes shifted to Charlie, who was looking highly uncomfortable in a chocolate tuxedo. He was staring at me, mouth slightly agape. I automatically looked down at my dress, feeling highly conscious of the satin and lace that covered most of my body.

Renee elbowed him hard, in the side, and he snapped out of it. "Bella, you look…"

"Dad, please." It was hard enough without Charlie going all mushy on me now.

The music changed and I recognized the first notes of Pachelbel's Canon in D. It was the cue for the wedding party to start making its way downstairs. I tried not to hyperventilate as Renee gently pulled the veil down over my face. I prayed Alice was telling the truth about everything going smoothly, because adding something over my eyes wasn't going to help me navigate the stairs any better. A bouquet of yellow daises was shoved into my sweaty hands. I gripped the plastic handle underneath the cascade as if my life depended on it.

"Bella, breathe," Alice reminded me with a smile. She and Rosalie were now gracefully carrying their wildflower bouquets. I took a shaky breath.

The music continued and Alice and Jasper moved forward, with Emmett and Rosalie about five feet behind them. Charlie took his place on my left, while Renee stood on my right. I had decided, in the end, that it would be appropriate for _both_ my parents to walk me down the aisle.

Emmett and Rosalie had disappeared down the stairs. I wondered vaguely if Edward was as nervous as I was; I highly doubted it.

The music faded and changed again. I knew what was coming before I heard the first blaring notes of Wagner's Bridal Chorus. I thought Alice's choice of music for the ceremony was cliché; she called it traditional and reminded me we were pretending it was 1918.

Suddenly, we were moving forward. Had I told my feet to move? Charlie and Renee were not quite dragging me, but my feet always seemed to move a few seconds slower than theirs. I clung to Charlie's arm as we descended the stairs; all my brain power was concentrating on not falling on my face. I was so worried about falling that I counted every step: there were twenty-three. My next challenge was the white silk runner that marked the aisle. I could just envision my feet getting tangled up in the linen, and falling into the chairs. I hoped my face didn't look as terrified as I felt. I tried to smile. The rows upon rows of chairs, that had been empty when I last saw them, were now filled with well dressed people, and that brought about another bout with the evil stomach butterflies. Everyone was now standing and every eye was turned on me.

In my terror, my eyes automatically followed the long aisle to its conclusion and stared into the face that awaited me there. Edward's eyes were locked with mine, even with the veil blocking a clear view. He was standing under the lattice arch that had been erected in front of the west wall. His face was full of uncensored joy. I could see the huge smile that lit his angelic features, and even from the distance, I could see the unfathomable love that radiated from his golden eyes. Staring at the Adonis before me made it easy to forget the fifty other souls in the room.

When I reached the end of the aisle, my parents relinquished me into Edward's waiting hands. I deftly passed my bouquet to Alice, and more than gladly took Edward's cold hands in mine. Being close to Edward again immediately helped alleviate some of the nervousness.

"You are gorgeous," he murmured quietly, so that only I could hear. I blushed and he smiled wider. I imagined he was having a very hard time not kissing me right now; I knew my willpower in that area was fading rapidly.

There was a rustle of cloth as the wedding guests took their seats again, leaving only the wedding party still standing. The minister, Reverend Thomas, stepped forward, looking at me first, then Edward, before beginning the traditional ceremony.

I had taken an instant liking to the reverend from Port Angeles. He was an amiable, middle aged man who brought no assumptions with him. Unlike the rest of Forks, he never once treated Edward and I like two love struck teenagers who were rushing into things. He didn't lecture us on the importance or permanence of marriage; he simply asked when and where he should show up. I would be eternally grateful for that.

I knew I should be paying more attention to what the minister was saying, but it was difficult to listen to his words when I was staring so intently into Edward's eyes. Besides, I already knew what he was saying. I had read the words after Alice had found them on the Internet. She had felt the old fashioned wording would be perfect for Edward; I had agreed whole heartedly.

I dragged my attention back to the ceremony when I realized the minister was speaking to Edward now. Were we really almost done? I tried to pay better attention.

"Do you Edward take Isabella to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon her your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live?"

Edward smiled serenely before saying, "I will." He squeezed my hands gently.

Now it was my turn. I hoped I'd be able to squeak out the words.

"Do you Isabella take Edward to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, to cherish and continually bestow upon him your heart's deepest devotion, forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will." I'm not sure anyone other than Edward and the minister heard, but they were really all who mattered anyway.

Jasper stepped forward to hand the reverend the rings. I took a quick peek out into the audience. Renee was dabbing her eyes feverishly with a borrowed handkerchief, while Phil awkwardly patted her hand. To my surprise, Charlie's eyes were also a little watery. I looked away quickly, before my own eyes got any wet ideas.

Reverend Thomas handed Edward my ring, and directed him to repeat his words. It was an awfully long list of words. I knew Edward would have no problem repeating them, but I was instantly worried about me. How foolish would I look if I got it wrong?

Edward repeated his words flawlessly. "Bella, you are now consecrated to me as my wife from this day forward and I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity and with this ring, I thee wed." Gently, he slid the gold band onto my slightly trembling finger.

Once again, the minister turned his attention to me. He handed me Edward's ring, which I promptly dropped. I was beet red within a second and so mortified that I couldn't even move. There was some laughter coming from the guests. I wished I could just melt into the floor. Alice came to my rescue, though. She retrieved the errant ring and pressed it carefully into my palm. I held it so tightly that I was sure there would be a ring shaped impression in my palm afterward.

Apparently dropping the ring clued the reverend into how nervous I was. He mercifully gave me small bits to repeat, instead of a huge sentence. Eventually I managed to stutter out the whole line, and more than happily rid myself of the troublesome ring by sliding it onto Edward's finger.

The ceremony was almost over. Soon Edward would be kissing me, and I would only have to live through a reception, and dancing, and conversing with guests…Alice owed me for a millennium. The final remarks were being said and I almost burst with happiness and relief when I heard the minister say "And so, by the power vested in me by the State of Washington, and by God the Almighty, I now pronounce you man and wife – and may your days be good and long upon the earth." I smiled knowingly at that. "You may now kiss the bride."

I thought Edward's smile might split his handsome face as he leaned forward and gently pulled back the veil. "Forever" he breathed so only I could hear him before he pressed his granite lips to mine. I couldn't resist wrapping my arms around him as I kissed him in return.

Emmett's cat call pulled us apart and I blushed spectacularly as Edward turned me toward the guests. Everyone was clapping and cheering. Renee was still trying to get her tear ducts under control. Across the isle Esme was wearing a similar expression, and I knew she would be crying too if she was able.

The string quartet in the back struck up Mendelssohn's Wedding March and Edward led me back down the aisle. The guests were standing again. Someone, and I strongly suspected Alice, had handed out bubbles, which now rained down upon us. We practically skipped up the stairs in our euphoria and rushed into Alice's bathroom, where I had gotten dressed, to wait for the others so we could start pictures. As soon as we were inside, Edward was exuberantly kissing me again.

Any time he pulled his lips away he mumbled, "I love you." I mumbled it back whenever I had the chance.

And then we were no longer alone. Alice, Jasper, Rosalie and Emmett filed in, followed closely by Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Renee. The photographer appeared last and started discussing where and how pictures would be taken. He seemed to be just as eager as me to get the photographs done quickly, though I strongly suspected it was because being around so many Cullens made him instinctively nervous.

Once the photographs were done, my nerves returned. In a few short minutes, I would be required to dance in front of all the guests with some semblance of grace. At least I knew Edward would always catch me before I hit the ground.

The wedding guests had moved across the Cullens' spacious first floor to fill their seats at large, round tables. A DJ now replaced the string quartet, and the arch and chairs from the ceremony had been removed to create a dancing area. Lights had even been erected. Because the wedding couldn't take place until after sunset (on the off chance the day had decided to be sunny) there would be no formal sit down meal, but a large buffet of fancy hors d'oeuvres was already set up. A bartender had also been hired to serve the guests cocktails.

The charismatic DJ introduced the wedding party again, as they walked to the head table. I held my breath slightly as the DJ paused while Rosalie and Emmett were seated. I was both excited and nervous about his next introduction. It was going to take a little time for me to adjust to the idea that I was now someone's wife, a misses.

"And now, for the very first time ever, I'm happy to introduce Mr. and Mrs. Edward Cullen." He blared the song Love and Marriage as we entered, while the guests hooted and clapped. I knew I was blushing again; that was certainly one human reaction I was not going to miss.

After the toasts, and the speeches, and more crying on Renee's part, it was time for our first dance. Alice, in a merciful moment, had conceded that my dancing in heels might be a little too dangerous and allowed me to buy white ballet slippers to dance in. They didn't add much to my confidence, though, as Edward let me out onto the dance floor. Again, I felt every eye in the room on me. The music started, soft and gentle in the background. We both smiled, knowing the song we had picked was an inside joke that our human guests didn't understand. While it sounded like a perfectly romantic song, though a little too country for our usual tastes, all the talk of forever and reasons for living made us appreciate the lyrics. Thankfully, Edward's ability to lead got me through our first dance without any injuries.

On the other hand, the father-daughter dance was less spectacular. Because my coordination was inherited from Charlie, there was little for either of us to do but sway carefully together while Frank Sinatra crooned in the background. Charlie only stepped on my toes once, and his dress shoes prevented him from feeling any pain when I returned the gesture. We both managed to make it through the uncomfortable minutes unscathed.

The moment the dancing was opened up for everybody, and songs like "We Are Family" started blaring, I took it as my cue to remove myself from the floor; for both mine and my guests' safety. Edward was content to take me around the room and speak with the guests, though I did catch him looking at the dance floor enviously a few times.

"I want to introduce you to Tanya's clan," he said after I'd escaped Renee, who had been trying to coerce me into dancing to YMCA. (I told her that my arms, waving about above my head on a crowded dance floor, were a one way ticket to the ER.) Suddenly, dancing didn't seem so frightening anymore. I wasn't scared of Tanya's clan for the logical reasons. I was terrified of what I was going to see; gorgeous immortals who had known Edward for decades. And for whatever reason, he had chosen me over 'all those females.'

Edward towed me through the tables. Tanya's clan was seated on the opposite end of the room from Billy, Seth, and Sam. Even though Irina had politely refused her invitation because of the animosity she still felt toward the werewolves for Laurent's death, Alice had still thought it best if Tanya and her other family members weren't given any reason for starting anything. For their part, Seth and Sam had promised to be on their best behavior, and avoid Tanya at all costs.

Tanya stood up when she saw Edward and me approaching. "Congratulations," she said, with slightest hint of a Slavic accent. She sounded truly pleased for us. She hugged Edward and then me.

I was dismayed at how beautiful she looked. Rosalie might have beaten her for traditional beauty, but Tanya was slightly older. She had a mature sort of beauty, and legs that didn't seem to end. Her strawberry blond hair was wound up in an elaborate twist and she was wearing a skin tight, green cocktail dress. She and Edward were instantly talking about Denali. They spoke quietly, but so fast that I could barely catch a word. She stood very close to Edward, despite the fact I had moved closer to him and even slid my arm through his.

I was surprised how quickly the jealousy took over my body. When Tanya reached out to touch Edward's arm in response to something he had said I suddenly found myself looking forward to being a vampire for an entirely new reason; I would be strong enough to stake and _protect_ my claim on Edward.

Thankfully our obligations to the other guests allowed us to escape from Tanya, but not before Edward promised to visit them in Denali in a year so that I could meet Irina. I tried to shake off the jealousy and put on a smile for the other guests, but I kept visualizing Tanya's gorgeous body in my head.

After one trip around the room, I encouraged Edward to go dance with his family, who all seemed to be enjoying themselves on the dance floor. "Why don't you go and dance? I'll be more than happy to sit and watch. You can drag me out there for the next slow song."

Edward gave me a skeptical look. "Go," I gave him an ineffective shove. "I have no problem sitting this out. I'll go talk with the guests some more." I scanned the room. Emily was sitting by herself. Sam and Seth were out on the floor, dancing exuberantly. Billy and Sue had moved over to Charlie's table and were talking with him. "I'll go keep Emily company." There, he couldn't argue with that.

"I _will_ come and find you for the next slow song," he promised, or perhaps threatened, I wasn't quite sure which.

I took the empty seat next to Emily before saying, "don't like dancing either?"

She nodded as a smile flitted across the unmarred side of her face. "I don't mind slow dancing, but _that_," she nodded toward the dancing werewolves, "does not strike me as fun."

"I know what you mean." We sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, each watching our own men on the dance floor.

"I am glad you came," I said tentatively. "I wasn't sure how the pack would view the invitation."

Emily smiled again and patted my hand. "Oh, Bella. Don't let him get to you. Just because they all share thoughts doesn't mean they all share the same opinion."

I knew she was referring to Jacob now, who had taken the news of my marriage and impending transformation badly, to put it lightly. Currently we weren't sure where he even was. Although the pack could still pick up his thoughts, Jacob was being careful not to let the others see where he was. Though, to anyone not in the know about the werewolves, Jacob was simply visiting relatives in New York for the summer.

I returned her smile weakly. "I know." But it hurt more than I would ever let on that Jacob wasn't here for my wedding.

Emily fell silent again, but instead of watching Sam and Seth, it looked as if she was thinking hard about something. Finally, apparently making up her mind, she spoke quietly. "I know this is none of my business, but I want you to know that I understand why you are doing this. I empathize completely."

I knew our conversation had suddenly shifted away from the wedding and Jacob. Now we were talking about the whole reason why I was getting married, the whole purpose of enduring this; I wanted Edward to give me immortality. The shock must have registered on my face, because Emily quickly continued, now sounding less sure of herself.

"I love Sam more than anything. When I learned what was happening to him, I wished for nothing other than to become a werewolf as well. That way he wouldn't have to endure this alone. I wanted so badly to be able to help him, and to understand exactly what he was going through. Then the other boys started changing, and I thought I could give up my wish, since Sam was no longer alone. It worked for a while, and then Leah changed." Emily gave a short, hollow sort of laugh. "Well, I guess it was only fair. I had ended up with the thing she desired most and she ended up with my wish. The jealousy was almost all consuming. And then there was the battle in June. The jealousy slipped away to just plain terror. I was sick with fear that someone would get hurt; not only Sam, but any member of the pack. At that moment I would have traded _anything_ to be a pack member, to be there myself." Emily stopped and took a deep breath. She blushed slightly from her confession as she looked over at me. "I'm sure you've felt that way as well, for your Edward. But I think where I empathize with you the most is for the physical differences. I can deal with Sam's strength, and size. But I live everyday in fear that he might not be able to control it in time; what if it takes him twenty more years? I'll be forty- something, and he'll still be in his twenties. Everyday I age a little more while he stays the same. I think you and I both understand how that feels."

I nodded, and in a burst of emotion, threw my arms around the woman. "Thank you for sharing that, Emily." She made me feel better, in so many ways. Both vampires and humans alike had made me feel like I was crazy, abnormal, for choosing this path. It was so good to know that someone else agreed with me, and understood my motives.

I pulled away from Emily and saw Edward moving toward me. The DJ had started the next round of slow songs. I rose, as did Emily. "I guess I'll go join Sam," she said, sounding less than enthused. I felt a sudden pang that I didn't have the time to get to know Emily better. It seemed that we could have been very close friends.

* * *

A/N: Please leave a review and let me know how you are liking it so far. If you are curious, the song that Edward and Bella have their first dance to is called Give Me Forever (I do) by John Tesh


	3. Goodbyes

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 3

Goodbyes

Toward the end of the evening, Alice insisted we cut the wedding cake. I thought the four-tiered, fondant covered creation was far to beautiful to cut into pieces and serve. Plus, I really didn't want to know how much money I was slicing up. But Alice insisted on being as traditional as possible, so once again I was thrust into the spotlight. Since Edward had no desire to eat any of the cake, we had decided well before the reception to make a show of shoving it in each other's faces, rather than actually eating it. He was nice enough to let me have a small bite before he smashed the rest of the piece into my nose.

After cleaning the icing off our faces, Alice once again insisted we fulfill another tradition. This time she wanted Edward to remove my garter (Charlie was going to love that) and then have me toss the bouquet. Then she planned to submit whatever poor girl who caught it to a fondling by whichever man caught the garter. I told her I thought the whole thing was tacky. She told me not to ruin her fun. As usual, Alice got her way.

Alice forced me into a chair in the middle of the dance floor. The DJ wasn't helping matters when he started blaring the Mission Impossible theme as Edward glided toward me, smirking. He was enjoying this just a little too much. I tried to control the blushing as Edward slowly hiked up the hem of my dress. His cold fingers traced the back of my calf as he inched upward, past my knee and up my thigh. He paused at the garter, but then a mischievous smile graced his face. My face went crimson as his fingers caressed farther up the inside of my thigh than I was prepared for. Then, in one quick movement, he pulled the garter off and waved it triumphantly.

"You're going to pay for that later," I growled into his ear as I got out of the chair, smoothing my dress.

"I was counting on that," he growled back playfully. I thought about kicking him, but I didn't want a broken foot for the honeymoon.

Edward beat a hasty retreat as Alice came forward with the small bouquet meant for tossing. I wondered if she had any idea how much danger she was putting the guests in by telling me to throw something. The DJ herded all the single ladies out onto the dance floor. Angela and Jessica were standing at the front of the group, giggling nervously. Emily was standing behind them, alongside a young woman whose name I couldn't remember, but was the date of one of Charlie's fellow officers. Rosalie and Alice, (who had to pretend to be single, since our human guests didn't know they were married to their "brothers") along with Tanya and Katrina, brought up the rear. The tiny group was a rather small target for me, and I hoped I didn't completely miss them all together. I turned away from the women and flung the flowers backwards over my head, in what I hoped was the right direction. I heard a lot of giggling and high heels clicking on the floor. I turned around to see a rather embarrassed looking Emily holding the now mangled bouquet.

Next, Edward took the floor, twirling my garter on his finger. The single men assembled on the dance floor; there were more of them than single women. Sam and Seth were first out, followed by several of Charlie's co-workers. Ben, Eric, and Mike were pushed out onto the floor by Angela and Jessica. Jasper and Emmett were last, but Jasper was wearing an evil sort of smile I had never seen on his face before. I saw him lock eyes with Edward, who shook his head so slightly that I doubted anyone else had noticed. Jasper, however, looked away, the smile now gone; he looked like a little kid who had just been told he couldn't have a toy.

Edward made a spectacle of himself by winding up like a pitcher before finally slinging the garter backwards into the crowd of men. There was a wild scramble for the garment, before Sam finally came up triumphant. It looked like Mike, Eric, and Ben were too scared to challenge him for it. Emily, who was standing beside me, sighed in relief that her own fiance had won the contest.

Edward came over to stand next to me while Sam had the honor of putting the garter onto Emily.

"What did you not let Jasper do?" I whispered.

Edward gave me a dry smile. "He wanted me to throw him the garter. He wanted to see how Sam would react if a vampire touched his fiance."

I shook my head. "Thank you for having some sense. We didn't need a scene."

The night progressed and soon the DJ announced that it was time for the last dance. As Edward and I twirled slowly on the floor to the tune of 'Heaven,' I caught sight of Emmett and Jasper sneaking out the back door.

"Where are they going?" I nodded toward the empty space where Jasper and Emmett had stood.

"To do something I really wish they wouldn't do," replied Edward through clenched teeth. "You'll see in a few minutes."

The song ended and the DJ announced our departure over the sound of Marvin Gay singing "Let's Get It On." The guests lined up on either side of our escape route to cheer as we walked through and follow us outside. It was then that I saw why Jasper and Emmett had disappeared.

Edward's usually shiny, spotless silver Volvo had been attacked. Scrawled in huge gold and white letters across the back window was "Just Married!" The back seat windows were also covered in graffiti; the one on Edward's side read "Honk If You Love Newlyweds!" while the window on my side said, "Bride on Board!" To add insult to injury, there were a dozen aluminum cans tied to the rear bumper, and upon closer inspection, I saw that the entire car had been packed full of gold and white balloons.

Edward just shook his head in disbelief. Jasper and Emmett came over, wearing huge grins, and clapped him on the back. They knew there was nothing he could do to them now.

"Pay back's a bitch," Edward murmured softly, but I knew that his brothers had still heard him.

We began de-ballooning the car. I knew it was driving Edward nuts to have to work at human speed. He probably could have had the car spotless in thirty seconds. We finally got enough balloons out that we could fit ourselves inside. Edward cut the cans off the back, giving his brothers a look that clearly dared them to stop him. Alice scowled, probably because he was ruining a "tradition."

Edward was a little tense as he helped me into the car. I could tell he was itching to move at his normal speed as he walked casually around the front and got behind the wheel. After what seemed like an eternity in the company of others, we were finally by ourselves. Edward started the car, and with a rev of the engine, took off down the dirt road. We were speeding toward Port Angeles in no time.

"Well, Mrs. Cullen, you survived the night." Edward was smiling again. His eyes were on me instead of the road.

"That sounds so strange!"

Edward laughed. "I think it sounds perfect."

"You would," I mumbled under my breath.

He reached across the center console to caress my cheek. "Thank you, though, for enduring all that. I know Alice got to be a bit..."

"Crazy?"

"Yes, toward the end." He laughed again. "You should have _heard_ what she was thinking as we left, after I cut those awful cans off the back."

"I noticed the look she was giving you. That said it all."

"It made her happy, though, to let her have her fun. So I guess it was worth it."

"Plus she really will owe me for the next hundred years," I replied happily. "And I won't let her forget it."

Edward pursed his lips. He was still a little touchy about my change.

"But did you enjoy yourself?" I prodded. "You know Alice did everything for you. I was merely an accessory."

"You were far more than an accessory, Bella."

I smiled at his defensiveness. "I know. But really, were you happy with the whole production? The number of times Alice told me to be quiet and pretend it was 1918!"

Edward laughed lightly, but for a second I thought I caught a hint of something more in his voice: sorrow, maybe, or perhaps just nostalgia.

"When I saw Alice and Rosalie in those old fashioned dresses, and then you, well...it was all to easy to forget what era I was in."

"But you must have seen the dresses in Alice's head well before today."

Edward shook his head. "Alice was being _very_ careful with her thoughts over the past couple of months. Especially after your first fitting." He smiled suddenly. "Though, I will admit that I did get a sneak peek at the bridesmaid dresses. But that was from Rosalie; she was less than thrilled with Alice's selection."

"I picked up on that too," I laughed.

We were in Port Angeles already. Edward pulled into the Sheraton Hotel, the closest thing to a ritzy hotel Port Angeles had. The valet took our car as Edward led me into the lobby. Emmett had come earlier in the day to check in for us and take our overnight bags to our room. Edward pulled out the plastic key card as we crossed the lobby.

I shook my head as the elevator doors slid shut behind us. It figured that Edward would rent us an expensive suite for a one night stay. It was the kind of room that required you to slide your key card inside the elevator to even go to that floor.

Once the lift began taking us up to the top of the high rise hotel my heart started accelerating. I hadn't let myself get excited about the end of the evening until now.

Edward had his arms around my waist already and I heard him chuckle into my hair. "A little anxious, are we?" Damn, he had heard the change in my heart beat too. A blush immediately crept into my cheeks.

"Maybe a little," I responded coyly.

"Only a little?" Edward sounded disappointed. "I guess I'm going to have to work on that." And before another thought could enter my head, Edward's lips we on the side of my neck, working their way down toward my collar bone. His hands slid off my waist and down over my hips. My body reacted just the way he wanted. My breathing suddenly quickened, my pulse rate doubled again, and my skin felt hot, even with his cold body pressed against mine.

I barely heard the tiny bell that signaled our floor. Edward's lips never left my skin as he scooped me into his arms and carried me into the suite. I didn't even feel the change in his stride, but I knew he must have sprinted to the bedroom, because he was laying me on the bed before I would have been three steps from the entrance. He was on top of me, but I could barely feel his weight.

I moved my head, searching for Edward's lips. He knew what I was after and was suddenly kissing me with a sort of recklessness that he had never allowed before. It was difficult to remember to breathe. My fingers fumbled against Edward's chest, but the tuxedo was far too complicated for me to figure out in my breathless state.

Edward pulled away from me and shrugged out of the tuxedo jacket. He waited patiently while my trembling hands unbuttoned his vest, and then his dress shirt, before he was back to kissing me. I felt him pull me up gently from the bed, and as if it were just a zipper instead of zillions of buttons, the back of my dress fell open. I shrugged out of the sleeves and let Edward slide the rest of the gown off me.

Edward's eyes moved away from my face for the first time, so that he could sweep my nearly naked body. For a fleeting second, I felt very conspicuous and exposed in just my underwear and bra; how could my body possibly compare to the chiseled, muscular form sitting across from me?

"You're absolutely gorgeous," Edward whispered into my ear as his hands explored my body, "and beautiful, and sexy." The insecurity vanished in a heart beat and my mind focused on nothing more than the angel before me.

* * *

Edward watched me closely as I traced little circles on his bare chest with my finger tips.

"Why don't you go to sleep?" he asked with amusement as I stifled yet another yawn. It was well after one-o'clock in the morning. But I was still basking in the after glow; and I was the tiniest bit afraid that if I went to sleep I might wake up and find this was all a dream.

"I can sleep on the plane tomorrow," I responded. Although I had no idea where that plane was taking me. Edward still wouldn't disclose the secret of our honeymoon location, other than the fact that we would be flying there and I would need my passport at some point.

"Bella." I looked up at him innocently. "Our flight doesn't leave until tomorrow night. You need to sleep before then."

"Will you tell me where we are going? Then I'll go to sleep; I promise."

He looked at me skeptically. "Go get ready to sleep first, then I'll tell you."

Damn, he knew me too well sometimes. I moved away from him begrudgingly and padded over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and scrub off the makeup Alice and Rosalie had forced onto me. I opened my overnight bag to pull out the old sweats and t-shirt that I usually slept in, but found something else instead. Alice had been shopping. Folded neatly at the top of my bag was a powder blue silk negligee. It wasn't like the trashy ones I'd seen at the mall: see-through and lacy. Instead in was sold silk, with just a tiny bit of lace on the bottom fringe. I slid it over my head and examined myself in the mirror. The v-neck allowed just a little bit of cleavage to show and the lace hit mid-thigh. I was no Victoria's Secret model, but I didn't look bad either.

"Alice left you a present, Edward," I called as I walked out of the bathroom.

He hopped out of bed and was standing it front of me in half a second.

"I might owe Alice another car for this one." He ran his hands over the silk nightgown. "Unfortunately, it is bed time for you."

I pouted my lips, which he promptly kissed. "We have the rest of forever, Bella."

I couldn't argue with that; and I was tired. I climbed back in bed and curled up against Edward, closing my eyes. "Now, where are we going tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow or for the honeymoon?"

"They differ?"

"Tomorrow we are going to Chicago. After that we are going to Europe."

My eyes snapped open. Edward laughed. "Nowhere near Italy, I promise."

"It'll be safe?" After all, traveling in Europe was like traveling across a few states here.

"Bella, would I take you anywhere that is remotely not safe?" Of course he wouldn't; I was over reacting, as usual. "Now go to sleep." He reached over and turned off the bedside light, plunging the room into darkness. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head before he began to hum my song. I couldn't fight the drowsiness after that.

I woke to the sweetest sound I knew. Edward's velvety voice was at my ear. "Bella, love, it's time to wake up."

I stretched in the huge bed, yawned, and finally opened my eyes. The prior day had not been a dream; the wedding was really over. I rolled over and slung an arm across Edward's chest. "Good morning, husband." My face snuggled into the space between his neck and shoulder as I breathed in his sweet scent.

"Hmm, I could get used to that." He sounded content as he moved his head so that he could press his lips to my forehead. "So, what did you dream about last night?"

For any other couple it would have been an innocent question, but I knew better. "Oh no! What did I say?"

"Mostly the usual," he replied with a chuckle, but there had been a pull in his voice; like he had stopped too quickly because he had changed his mind at the last moment.

"And what was unusual?" I prompted.

I was surprised to see a mischievous smile flit across his face. Frantically I tried to recall even a fleeting glimpse of what my subconscious had conjured up during the night; but there was nothing to remember. What could I have possible mumbled that could evoke such an unusual response in Edward?

"Please tell me," I begged. "The suspense is awful."

Another chuckle. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't call it sleep talking. There were a few intelligible words, but mostly there was a whole lot of moaning. It was _very_ difficult not to wake you and make the dream a reality."

I was blushing before I even understood what sort of dream I'd had. "Figures," I mumbled grumpily. "I have an erotic dream and I can't even remember it. Where's the fun in that?"

Suddenly Edward was pinning me to the bed. "The fun," he growled playfully, "is in acting it out."

His lips were on mine before I could reply. Not that I could remember what I was going to say in the first place.

* * *

"You should go shower, or else we are going to be late."

"Now whose fault would that be? Attacking your poor bride as soon as she woke up!"

Edward smiled. "From my perspective, my poor bride enjoyed the attack, as you call it."

I couldn't argue with that. I had enjoyed it, more than I thought possible. "Feel free to attack me whenever you like," I replied with a smirk. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and pulled the silk negligee back over my head before heading for the shower.

Once I was showered, dressed, and my hair blow dried, I reappeared in the bedroom. Edward had vanished. I moved into the attached sitting room and found him seated at one end of the round glass top table. He had a newspaper open. There was a large, covered tray sitting on the middle of the table.

"I ordered you breakfast," he said without looking up.

I sat down and pulled the silver cover off the tray. Underneath were scrambled eggs, two pieces of toast, and a bowl of fruit salad. I nibbled at the fruit while I watched Edward read.

"Anything interesting?" I asked when he folded the paper and put it down?

He shook his head. "Just checking European news."

"Don't want to take me to any cities with vampire problems?"

"More or less."

"Not that it really matters. I'll probably attract every vampire within a ten mile radius."

"That's not funny, Bella."

"I know, but it's probably true. You've said it yourself: danger magnet." I picked up the fork to pick at the eggs as Edward gave an exasperated sigh.

"What am I going to do with you."

"Turn me into a vampire to fix the problem."

He scowled at me. I took a few bites out of the toast before announcing I was finished. "Are we leaving now?" I was looking at the ornate clock hanging on the wall. It was almost ten in the morning.

"In a few minutes. I want to give you something first."

My hands moved automatically to my hips as I tried to look menacing as I scolded Edward. "I told you not to get me anything. I don't like you spending your money on me!"

"Well now it's _our_ money, so technically it's like you bought yourself something."

"We weren't married when you bought it," I pointed out, proud of my logic.

"No, but I put it on a credit card, so by that time that bill comes it will be _our_ money."

"You always have to find the loophole, don't you?"

He smiled angelically in response before disappearing into the bedroom. He returned half a second later, holding two packages that were wrapped in white and silver paper. There was a large one on the bottom and a smaller one on top.

I scowled at him, but he pressed the smaller of the two gifts into my hands anyway. I put it on the table, crossed my arms, and tried to look disapproving. It didn't help that curiosity was stirring in me. The small box had been fairly heavy.

"Now Bella, don't ruin my fun. I promise they are useful."

"Fine, but only because I don't want to hurt your feelings." I grabbed the small box again and started tearing the paper off. Edward just laughed at my half-hearted attempt to discipline him.

"You got me a digital camera?" I stared at a Canon box with a picture of the camera on it. I had to admit, it was indeed useful, especially compared to my old camera.

"I thought you might like to take a lot of pictures on the honeymoon. And this way you don't have to take a crate of film with you."

I had the box open now and was turning the small camera in my hands. There were an awful lot of knobs, dials, and buttons. I was starting to miss the point-click-shoot part of my old camera.

"I'll teach you how to use it," Edward continued with an amused expression. "Now open the other one."

Edward put the larger box on the table so that I could peel off the paper. I stood in shocked silence as I looked at the box for a Sony Vaio laptop computer.

"You can download the pictures you take onto the computer," he explained. "Plus, I thought it might be helpful at Dartmouth. That old thing in your room wouldn't survive long."

"That's probably true, Edward, but we both know I won't be able to take any classes for at least a year. This is a rather expensive memory card for a camera."

"I wouldn't write off your first year of college so quickly, Bella."

I was the one who growled this time. "You aren't reneging on your promise, are you?"

"Calm down, Bella. I'm not breaking anything. I'm just saying that we might be able to work around things so you can take some classes."

I wasn't entirely convinced yet, but we didn't really have time to argue. The hotel was going to kick us out soon, and I really wanted to see Renee before she and Phil flew back to Florida. "We'll discuss this later," I conceded.

When we arrived at the small hotel in Forks where Renee and Phil had stayed, they were already checked out and waiting by their rented sedan. Renee rushed over before I had even managed to get out of the car and caught me in a huge hug.

"Mom, relax."

"I thought we would have to leave before you got here. I was worried I wouldn't get to say goodbye."

Her words sounded strange in my ears. _I_ was the one who was going to be saying goodbye. This was the last time I would ever look into my mother's face. I didn't even realize I was crying until Renee asked what was wrong. I had to think quickly. I settled for a half-truth; it would be more convincing than a full out lie.

"I'm not sure when I'll see you again," I blubbered. It was true.

Thankfully Renee thought I was referring to the honeymoon, and then going to Dartmouth. "Don't worry about it, sweetheart. I know it'll be tough for you to get away from school, but we can e-mail. And for special occasions a long-distance call would suffice."

I nodded in attempts to reassure her. I wasn't sure if any of those things would be possible.

"Oh, and here, Bella. I almost forgot to give it to you with all the activity before the wedding." She pressed a large shoe box box into my hands; I looked up in confusion.

"Remember, you asked for me to bring some pictures from when you were little. I was surprised, actually; you hated it when I displayed them in the house."

And I still hated them, but I had a slightly different perspective now. I was terrified that I would forget a lot of my human life, after a few centuries of immortality. Having pictures reassured me that I wouldn't forget. "Thanks, Mom. Edward wanted to see some pictures of me when I was younger," I lied. "I'll make copies of them and send you back the originals."

"Don't worry about it. I have most of the negatives somewhere, and I already have extra copies of the really embarrassing ones."

"Great, mom." She didn't miss the sarcasm.

"Have fun on your honeymoon, but try to be safe."

"I'll be fine," I assured her; give me a few weeks and she really wouldn't have to worry any more. "I'll send you pictures."

We hugged again. I almost had the tears under control. Phil hugged me next.

"Take care of her, please," I whispered. He looked at me strangely but didn't say anything. They needed to leave or else they would miss their flight. Edward held me as I watched them drive away.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly when we got back in the Volvo and had started toward his house.

"I just hate lying to her. She'll be sending me e-mails like crazy; she could make it difficult. I can see my face on milk cartons around the country."

Edward stroked the side of my face tenderly. "Bella, I think we've given you the wrong impression. True, you might not be able to see your parents again, since you will no longer age, but I don't see why you have to cut off all contact. It's true that Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett never saw their families again, but technology has advanced since then. As long as we are careful, I don't see why you can't e-mail Renee or call Charlie every once in a while. Yes, we'll have to dance around the topic of visiting, but we'll come up with something. And Alice will see if they decide to surprise us with a visit, so we can conveniently be out of town."

I was looking at Edward in shock "And you couldn't have told me this earlier? I've been stressing over saying goodbye to Renee and Charlie for the last month!"

"I'm sorry, Bella. I assumed you realized you could stay in contact with them? That's part of the reason why I bought you a laptop."

"Oh." I felt stupid, and a bit guilty for my display in our hotel room over the gifts.

We arrived at the Cullen house, after a quick trip through the car wash. Edward grabbed the shoe box out of my hands. "It was so nice of your mother to bring pictures."

"I just told her you wanted to see them to stop her from asking questions. Now give those back. I don't intend on opening that box for at least a hundred years." I reached for the box, but Edward held it out of my reach. A smile was playing on his lips.

"But I _do_ want to see pictures of you as a child." He got out of the car and I followed. All he had to do was hold the box high above his head. There was no point in making a spectacle of myself by hopping around in attempts to reach it, so I grabbed our bags instead. Edward tucked the picture box under his arm while he carried my gifts into the house.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are my drugs of choice, so please help me get my fix by reviewing. I accept unsigned reviews too, so you don't even have to sign in!

If you haven't read some of Stephenie Meyer's question and answer interviews at the Twilight Lexicon and at Twilight Moms then google them and go read them. Not only are they really interesting, but I also pulled some things out of those interviews to use in this story.


	4. Childhood Photographs

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and not copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 4

Childhood Photographs

I was grateful that Edward didn't announce the availability of my baby pictures to the rest of the Cullens; I had a feeling that Alice would be all too willing to look through them, and probably want to make an album or hang some on the walls.

Alice danced up to us as soon as we walked in the door. The place was already spotless after the wedding; I guessed it probably took longer for the DJ to pack up than it had taken for the vampires to clean up."How did you like the present I got Bella?" she asked Edward.

"You really are too good to me," he responded with a grin.

"Well I knew Bella would never think of getting something like that."

"Hey, I am right here you know," I grumbled.

"I didn't mean it as an insult, Bella," Alice insisted, giving me a gentle squeeze. "But I did _know_ you hadn't decided to pick up anything special, and well traditionally..."

Edward chuckled and cut his sister off. "I think you'd better give it a rest with the traditions, or Bella's going to try and rip you to pieces in a few weeks."

Alice's eyes flashed with excitement. "That could be fun, actually. I'm bored of sparring with you all; you're too predictable. Will you let me teach you how to fight, Bella? Please?"

I was almost shocked into silence by the question; I wasn't used to my upcoming transformation being talked about so candidly. "Um, sure, Alice." I wasn't sure if I was getting myself in deeper than I wanted to go.

Edward just shook his head in disapproval, but said nothing. We went to his room, where our luggage sat, waiting for its trip to the airport. Edward immediately took a seat on the bed and popped the lid off Renee's picture box. I sighed in defeat and sat down next to him.

The pictures contained the usual mortifying toddler shots; me naked in the bathtub, covered in bubbles; me sitting on the toilet, again naked, holding an upside down magazine; me sitting in a high chair, covered in chocolate. The list could go on forever. Of course, there were a few photos that even I had to agree were adorable. Edward especially liked the one of me in my pink tutu, taken during those few months I had been enrolled in ballet. I pointed out the band-aids on both of my knees.

The cloudy, dim day grew darker, alerting us that is was almost sunset. Our flight wasn't until nine o'clock, but for once we wouldn't be running to catch the plane. Edward's family had gathered to wish us bon voyage; so after more goodbyes and well wishes we were finally on our honeymoon.

We arrived at Chicago's O'Hare airport just before two in the morning. After getting our luggage, Edward hailed a taxi. We climbed in and Edward gave him the address; the driver gave him a strange look but said nothing. It wasn't until we pulled up in front of a house that I understood what the strange look was about.

We were in an old neighborhood: old but rich. This was the type of area where two teenagers didn't ask to go. The old fashioned streetlights showed that most of the houses were large, bordering on mansion sized, and exceptionally well kept. They were packed together, making it hard to sometimes tell where one house ended and another began. If it weren't for the modern cars parked along the street, I might have thought we had gone back in time.

The driver removed our luggage for us, probably hoping he'd get a better tip. Edward, with his usual politeness, did not disappoint. He then led me up the stone steps to the front door of 2257; a light had been left on above the door for us. Edward unlocked the door and allowed me to step inside first. We were in a narrow foyer. To our left, an open staircase with an ornate banister led to a second floor. To our right, behind two glass paned French doors, was another room. A hallway immediately in front of us led into darkness.

"Welcome to our home," Edward whispered from behind me.

Before I could reprimand him for buying a house without asking me first, I spotted a framed photograph hanging on the hallway wall. It was sepia toned and slightly yellowed with age, but the faces were still recognizable. I took a few steps closer, to be sure of what I thought I was seeing.

Three people were posing for the camera; I didn't recognize two of them, but the third was hauntingly familiar. Edward's face was staring out of the picture at me. He looked slightly different: still handsome, but not shockingly beautiful, and perhaps a few years younger.

I turned to look at the real thing in shock. He hadn't bought us a house; he had owned one for the last ninety some years.

Edward put his arms around me from behind. "I wish you could have met them," he said softy; there was definitely sorrow in his voice now. He was staring at the picture; the two people I hadn't recognized were his parents.

"Me too." I continued to stare at the picture when a thought occurred. "Edward, doesn't the state think it's odd that a dead man owns a house?"

He chuckled lightly. "The state can't declare you legally dead without a body until seven years has passed. I only needed a couple to be able to be safely near humans again; I came back to claim my inheritance. I told you I have several baubles from my mother; you wear two of them. Didn't you ever wonder how I got them?"

No, actually, I hadn't. I felt fairly stupid now for not asking.

"How often do you come here?" I asked, looking around again and noticing how spotless the house was.

"I haven't been here in almost fifteen years. I spent most of my time here, those years when I left Carlisle. Since then I've only come back for a few days at a time, usually to get away from all the voices and thoughts I encounter at home."

"And when you aren't here..."

Edward smiled. "I hire a permanent housekeeper."

He opened the French doors and flicked a light switch. A living room sprung out of the darkness. The furniture all belonged in another century, except for an older-model television set in the corner.

"I've tried to keep the house as original as possible, but obviously some remodeling had to be done." He turned on the television and clicked to the Weather Channel. He frowned slightly as the forecast for Chicago flashed across the screen.

"Sunny, of course," he grumbled. He looked over at me and seemed to think for a moment before speaking again. "How tired are you, Bella?"

"Not tired at all," I lied instantly. I had been fighting my eyelids for the last half hour.

"You're an awful liar, but this shouldn't take more than two hours. Then you can sleep all day, since I'll be confined to the house anyway."

"What won't take more than two hours?"

He ignored my question. "I wanted to do this during daylight, but it looks like my hand is being forced. Let's go for a walk, Bella."

"Now?"

"Yes, now, unless you want to explain to pedestrians why your husband sparkles?"

"Ok. Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he replied cryptically. He turned the television off and I followed him back out the foyer.

"There's one more thing," he said as he placed his hand on the knob of the front door. "I need you to promise me something."

I hated it when he made me do this. "Tell me first and then maybe I'll promise."

He gave a low growl. "Do you always have to be difficult?"

I nodded.

"We're in the middle of a huge city, Bella. It's a lot more dangerous here than in Forks."

I knew he wasn't referring to common criminals. "More vampires per capita, I know."

"Yes, and night is when they roam the city. As if your natural ability to attract dangerous creatures isn't bad enough, just being with me might make the ones who aren't thirsty curious. I need you to promise to do whatever I tell you. Even if it's for you to run away and leave me, that's what I need you to do. Do you understand?" He pressed the brass house key into my palm.

"You're always the optimist, aren't you?"

"I'm serious Bella."

"I promise, Edward." Now he had me both curious and frightened. I tried to tell myself it was nothing I hadn't faced already, but my mind kept dredging up mental images of James and Victoria; their red eyes stuck out vividly in my mind.

Edward seemed satisfied with the sincerity of my response, because he grabbed a flashlight from a small table beside the door before leading us out into the night. He kept his arm securely around my waist as we walked down the dimly lit street. I never saw another living person, except when we passed a bar that was closing for the night. Edward held me tighter as we dodged the stumbling drunks who were meandering toward their apartments.

We walked for twelve or thirteen blocks before finally halting in front of an old stone Episcopalian church, with a tiny but well kept gated cemetery alongside it. The gate was locked, but that didn't stop Edward. He grasped the padlock, and with what appeared to be a gentle twist, snapped it off. I thought the gate would screech open, but Edward managed to lead us in silently. Once inside he closed and latched the gate as soundlessly as he had opened it.

"I think you Cullens are a bad influence on the daughter of a cop," I teased. "First arson, then grand theft auto, and now breaking and entering with criminal trespassing on top of it."

"I warned you that I was no good for you," he replied good naturedly as he handed me the flashlight. "You might need this."

The streetlights did not extend into the small graveyard. I fumbled with the switch before finally getting the flashlight on. The narrow beam of light illuminated the cobbled path that wound through the tombstones. I had never been in a cemetery at night. The eerie, creepy feeling I expected from watching bad horror movies never came. Instead there was an overwhelming sense of calm and peace.

Edward stopped so abruptly that I nearly walked into his back. I turned the flashlight in the direction he was looking and saw two weathered grave stones. The one on the left read Edward Masen Sr. 1874-1918; the one on the right said Elizabeth Masen, 1880-1918. We had come to visit his parents.

I stood silently, not sure what to say. It was Edward who finally broke the silence.

"I haven't been here in almost eighty years." His voice was repentant. "I didn't feel I deserved to visit them, not after those years I spent in their city, in their home, feeding off humans. Why would they want a monster to visit them? Why would they want a monster for a son?"

"I don't think they would see you as a monster," I replied softly. "Your mother begged Carlisle to save you and he did so the only way he knew how. So you've made some bad choices; haven't we all?"

"She never wanted me to be _this_," he countered. "She didn't want me to die young, but she wanted me to die _someday_."

"And we will," I assured, "even if we have to wait for the sun to go supernova and incinerate the entire planet. Then you can ask her yourself whether you turned out the way she wanted."

"You know I don't believe that, Bella."

"Can you surely say, as you stand in the shadow of a church, that you honestly believe you have no soul? Are you so ready to call yourself an animal, Edward? What makes us different from the animals, if it isn't our biology and our genetic makeup? What gives us free choice and a conscience but a soul? How many lions, or bears, or sharks have you seen feel guilty for killing their prey? How many have you seen try and change their nature because of it, and become vegetarian? You have free will Edward, and you chose to try to do what you feel is the right thing, and not kill humans. Why can't you see that is the mark of a soul?"

"If that's true, Bella, then why is it so hard? Why do I have to fight my nature? Why can't I be like other animals and not feel guilty for doing what my instincts tell me? Why did I have to fight so hard not to kill you that first day in Biology class?"

"Maybe that's the price you paid...that I'll pay... for immortality. Maybe it has to be harder, in exchange for all the extra time on Earth. Maybe it's all a big test to see who really deserves a truly eternal reward."

Edward stared at me, with his mouth slightly open. "I should have gotten you into Harvard Seminary instead of Dartmouth."

"I was being serious, thank you." His casual brush aside angered me.

"I know," he replied in a more serious tone. "And there is a glimmer of hope, where before there was only blackness, but I'm not ready to completely embrace your philosophy yet."

"That's ok," I responded cheekily, "I have the next couple thousand years to change your mind."

Edward's demeanor changed in a split second. At first I was afraid it had been something I'd said, but when he shifted his body protectively in front of me I knew it was something more sinister.

"Flashlight off," he ordered in a voice so low I almost couldn't hear it. I instantly clicked the light off. "Get on the ground and try not to move. Pretend you are dead."

Those words scared me more than anything. I threw myself onto the ground, laying where I landed in hopes that it made me look more like a corpse. It certainly made it uncomfortable. I managed to get my breathing under control, but there was nothing I could do to stop the steady rise and fall of my chest as I inhaled and exhaled. Worse yet, my heart was racing out of fear. I could hear the sound of my own pulse pounding in my ears. And I knew any vampire with half decent hearing could hear it too.

I squeezed my eyes shut even though I was facing away from Edward and the gate. I strained my ears in hopes of hearing anything that might tell me what was going on. I heard Edward's shuffling footsteps moving away from me, along with the sound of twigs being snapped off the overhanging trees. Every once in a while a pebble skipped along the walk. With a shock I realized why Edward was so uncharacteristically noisy; he was trying to drown out the sound of my frantic heart beat. I began concentrating very hard on slowing the thing down.

An unfamiliar voice drifted through the night air. "Hey, pal, I don't suppose you've got enough to share?" The cemetery gate rattled, like someone was casually leaning against the bars. "She smelled awfully tasty."

I waited for the usual snarl, but Edward was trying to sound casual. "Sorry, just finished her off. You're right about her being tasty though, I couldn't help but drink every last drop."

"That's ok man, I can't rely on freebies all the time, right?" I imaged that the face attached to the voice was smiling now. "Where'd you pick her up, though. Maybe there are a few more wandering around who smell as good as her."

"I found her stumbling out of a bar on West 9th street. It was too easy to convince her to let me walk her back to her apartment; she didn't even know which direction it was."

"Ahh, I love a good drunk one now and again myself. Getting a good buzz off her, I suppose?"

"That's right."

"Thanks for the tip, pal. West 9th...I'll see if there are any more bar hoppers around."

The cemetery fell silent again. I couldn't hear anything, so I assumed Edward was still standing several feet away from me. When a pair of cold hands reached down and touched me, I jumped; a hand closed over my mouth before I could scream.

"Bella, it's alright. It's me."

I forced my eyelids open, but my heart rate was doubled again. "Really, Edward," I hissed. "You could have made _some_ noise so I knew you were walking back."

"Sorry. Are you ok?"

"Fine, other than being scared out of my mind."

"Figures, now you develop a sense of self preservation."

"Of course. I'm only weeks away from getting what I really want. Why would I want to die now?"

He rolled his eyes. "And perhaps your luck is changing too."

"That was lucky?"

"We're in the Windy City, Bella, on a night when it is miraculously not windy. If the wind had been blowing like normal there is no way I would have been able to convince him you were dead."

"Oh." Yeah, I supposed that was lucky. "Guess that was my lucky break for the year. You'd better be prepared to save me from a plane crash tomorrow."

"Again, not funny Bella."

I thought it was.

"Let's go home. I don't want to test your luck again tonight."

We walked back to Edward's house without any further incidents. The scare in the graveyard had used up my adrenaline store for the night; it was tough to keep from asking Edward to carry me the rest of the way, so that I could snore in his arms.

Once inside, Edward did have to help me up the stairs, which seemed intent on grabbing my feet. I didn't even bother looking around the bedroom or getting changed; I simply let Edward tuck me under the covers as I drifted off to sleep.

I didn't know where I was. I didn't recognize the room or the small four-post bed I was laying in. I shook my head clear of the grogginess and slowly the memories floated back. I was in Edward's family home. Now that I knew where I was, I could appreciate my surroundings more. Sunlight was streaming into the room in narrow beams from behind a heavy curtain, illuminating the antique furniture. Looking very much like he belonged perfectly in the era, Edward was seated in a high backed chair in the corner farthest from the window.

He saw I was awake and walked over to give me a gentle kiss.

"Good morning." I greeted.

"You mean good afternoon."

I groaned. "Why did you let me sleep so long?"

"I told you that you could sleep all day since I was dragging you out late last night. I wasn't going to break my promise."

"I appreciate that, but now I'm never going to get to sleep on the plane. I don't want to be over tired for Europe."

"The time difference will mess you up anyway," he replied with a grin. "It's not too much past noon, though, so I think you'll be fine."

We were both interrupted by a loud gurgling from my stomach.

"Breakfast time?" he asked with a smile.

I nodded as I hopped out of bed.

Once I had washed up, gotten dressed, and tried to tame my hair, Edward led me back downstairs to find something for me to eat. As we walked down the narrow hallway where I had seen the antique picture, I saw that there were other frames hanging on the walls. I paused to examine them, eager to see glimpses into Edward's past. Several pictures were of his parents, others were of Edward are various stages of childhood. He had always been handsome. One of the last pictures was of an infant in a lacy gown, being held by Edward's parents.

"Oh, did you have a sister who died?"

Edward sighed. "No, Bella. That's me in my christening gown. Thanks for telling me I look like a girl."

I looked up, prepared to apologize, when I saw the laughter behind his eyes. "Don't make fun of me," I muttered instead. "Will you feel better if I say you looked good in a dress?"

He rolled his eyes. "Let's find you some breakfast."

The kitchen was the only part of the house that looked like it belonged in the twenty-first century. Every modern appliance made had been squeezed in. Edward opened the refrigerator and poked around for a few seconds before closing the stainless steel door. He was holding a bowl of assorted fruit.

I gnawed at an apple while Edward watched.

"So what are we going to do today?" I asked between bites.

Edward shrugged. "I can't go out, so we have to stay here. There's a nice garden out back if you want to sit in the sun."

"While I can, right?"

Edward didn't smile. I hoped he wouldn't be touchy for the rest of forever.

The garden was more like a jungle. When Edward pulled back the curtains that covered the French doors at the back of the kitchen, I was shocked at the lush greenness that waited beyond there. A covered deck provided shade where Edward could sit among many potted plants. I ventured out into the sunlight. The garden took up the entire backyard, which was small to begin with. A tall wooden fence created privacy; I had to stand on my tip-toes to peek over the top. Plants of all varieties were growing everywhere. Sunflowers lined the fence, in between azalea bushes and rhododendrons. Irises, crocuses, and pansies flourished closer to the ground, along with many others flowers I couldn't name. My favorite part, however, was the rose bushes. Several huge plants were in full bloom with yellow, red, and pink roses. A small fountain had been installed near the bushes and a concrete bench, warmed by the sun, allowed me to lay in the aroma of roses.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" Edward called from the protection of the deck.

"It's beautiful out here. Was the garden always like this?"

"No. My mother liked gardening, but not this much. The newest housekeeper has made the garden her project. She added the fountain and the bench you are sitting on."

"So where is this housekeeper?"

" I flew her out to New York so she could visit her daughter."

"Gee, must be so hard working for you," I quipped sarcastically. "Get to live in a beautiful house, get paid to keep it clean and garden, and get sent on vacation when the owner shows up, once every few years. What an awful employer you are."

"I know. Just be happy you're only married to me, rather than working for me."

It was nice to hear Edward joke around; he had been so serious through the wedding preparation and still went stoic anytime my future transformation was mentioned.

"You said you mother liked to garden. What sort of plants did she have growing out here when you were a child?"

"She planted those rose bushes you seem to like so much?"

I looked at the huge plants in amazement. "Rose bushes live that long?"

"Of course, as long as they don't get a disease, destroyed by bugs, or fall under the care of a black thumb."

I tried to envision the Edward I had seen in the photographs sitting where I was now, watching a women in period dress putter around the garden. I couldn't get my mind around the surreal idea.

"I remember the day she planted those roses," he continued. "I was probably only seven or eight years old at the time. I was thrilled that she let me help her dig the holes; I was usually scolded for playing in the dirt and soiling my clothes. I don't know why I still have that memory when so many others have faded away." I could hear sadness imbued in his tone.

"What do you miss the most," I asked quietly.

I meant what he missed most about his parents, but he took it to mean life as a human in general.

"I miss sleeping," he replied, "and dreaming." I had never heard longing in Edward's voice before.

"I'll trade you," I replied, trying to lighten the mood. "I won't miss sleep at all." In fact, I was looking forward to a time when I could be with Edward twenty-four-seven without having to surrender seven or eight hours to unconsciousness.

Edward's mood, however, didn't lighten. He grimaced instead. "Give it a hundred years or so, Bella, and you will miss it. You honestly have no idea how much I'd love to just forget the world for a few hours every night."

I shook my head, refusing to believe him. "No, I won't miss the nightmares or the talking, no matter how long I exist."

"I will," Edward responded. "At least now I can get into your head just a little bit when you are sleep talking."

"Ahh, poor baby." The sarcasm was thicker than I had intended. "You'll have to be just like everyone else and _ask_ me what I'm thinking."

* * *

A/N: I love to hear what you think, good and bad, so please leave a review.


	5. Europe

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 5

Europe

The sun had already risen when we landed in London just after seven in the morning, their time. Thankfully, a thick blanket of fog covered the city and forecasters promised more rain throughout the day. Edward was pleased as he hailed a black taxi to take us from Heathrow airport to our hotel. I watched eagerly out the window as suburbs flew past as we approached the city. I was enjoying being in Europe on a leisurely trip instead of a rescue mission.

London was beautiful; there was no other way to describe it. The towering sky scrapers had been kept to a new London business district, so there was nothing to distract from the aged architecture and grandeur of a city much older than anything the United States could offer. I looked up in wonder at our hotel, which was housed in a triangular shaped stone building that looked like it had hopped out of the pages of a Jane Austin novel. Inside, however, was a modern Hilton with every comfort one should expect of a five star hotel. I shook my head silently as I wondered how much money Edward was dropping on this honeymoon; on second thought, I didn't want to know, it would just annoy me.

Our deluxe room looked out over Trafalgar Square and the huge monument dedicated to Admiral Nelson. Rain beat slowly on the window now. I really wanted to lay down and take a nap, but I knew the best way to fight jet lag was to just go out and do things according to the new time; and in London at this time it was breakfast, not nap time. Plus Edward was very excited to show me the city while the weather permitted him to go outside.

We both donned clear, plastic ponchos, the kind that scream "tourist." After Forks, though, the rain didn't bother me much. Edward decided the best and fastest way for me to see the city was from the second story of a brilliantly red, double decker bus. Armed with my new camera, I played the part of the over eager tourist and took pictures of everything: London Bridge, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch, the lions around Trafalgar square, the electric Piccadilly Circus, the London Eye, Big Ben, Parliament, and pretty much anything else I could focus the camera on long enough to get a clear shot. Edward seemed to be happy that I was happy. I didn't ask him how many times he'd been here; I didn't want to know.

After the bus tour, we went to see the Tower of London. I felt fairly foolish when I saw the structure; it wasn't a single tower at all! It was more like a castle fortress, with huge stone walls, many towers, open courtyards and a moat that connected it to the Thames river. We spent hours there, listening to the tour guide and looking at different exhibits, including seeing the Crown Jewels. Since we were right next door, we stopped at Tower Bridge after the Tower of London. After viewing the exhibits inside the two massive towers, and watching the suspension bridge being raised to let a large boat through, we climbed to the top to get a fantastic view of the city. On our way back to the hotel Edward bought me fish and chips for dinner.

It was barely six in the evening, but my eyes were stubbornly refusing to stay open. I was determined to stay awake and make the most out of our visit; we only had two more days in London before we moved on to the next European city on Edward's agenda. In attempts to fight off sleep I amused myself by flipping through a book of attractions and tours in the hotel room. I stopped at a section entitled "London After Dark."

"Ohh, Edward, look. Here's a bunch of stuff we can do at night, so it doesn't matter what the weather is like."

"After what happened in Chicago, do you really think I'm taking you out into a major city at night again?"

I pouted. "It isn't like we'd be alone, though. We'd be with other tourists."

"And are they going to help you scare off the vampires?"

"You're such a pessimist," I complained. "Millions of tourists come here every year, and nothing happens to most of them."

"Most of them don't smell like you and aren't married to a vampire."

"Come on, Edward. I won't be able to visit London and do this stuff for a while; and it wouldn't be a human experience when I did."

I felt just a little bit guilty for pulling the "human experience" card, but Edward was being way too overprotective again. I watched his expression change from stubborn to contemplative.

"I'm not promising anything, Bella. What were you thinking of?"

"This haunted London tour sounds kind of cool." Edward rolled his eyes at me. "What? Is the _vampire_ going to tell me there's no such thing as ghosts?"

"No," he replied. "I honestly don't know if there are ghosts or not. But I can tell you that if there are ghosts, I doubt they are just waiting for tourists to take their pictures. It's just a tourist trap where they tell lots of creepy stories in the dark to scare the wits out of humans."

"Fine, Mr. Negative. What about the Jack the Ripper walking tour?"

I was surprised when Edward smiled. I thought perhaps I'd hit on something we could compromise on. "You can't tell me Jack the Ripper wasn't real." I pointed out. "I'd even call it educational."

Edward laughed now. "Only if you want to be educated incorrectly."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jack the Ripper was real, I'll concede that. He might even still be real."

I stared at Edward incredulously. "Are you telling me Jack the Ripper was a vampire?"

"All the evidence points in that direction."

"Why would a vampire tear apart his victims?"

"Because he wanted to hide the bite wounds and make it look like a human homicide," Edward responded matter-of-factly. "All the killings were at night, the victims were prostitutes without family to worry about them, and there was a surprising lack of blood at the scenes. Some victims were missing organs, which implies he had an interesting taste for the blood found inside organ tissue."

I must have looked disgusted. "Sorry," he added.

"But why would a vampire suddenly stop killing?"

"We don't know that he stopped. He might have realized that he was being careless and chose to hide the bodies better or be more discriminate about his meals. Or, of course, he could have been forced to stop."

I shuddered silently as I thought about what the Volturi might have done to a vampire they felt was being a little too open about his activities. I couldn't help but see Bree's face in my mind; the Volturi wouldn't give anyone a second chance.

"Ok, so Jack the Ripper is out. What about a play? London has a whole slew of plays and musicals."

Edward didn't shoot me down immediately, so I took that to mean he was thinking about it.

"A theater is safe," I insisted.

"Tell that to Abraham Lincoln." But Edward was smiling this time. "I suppose we can go see a play tomorrow night."

"Tomorrow?" I tried pouting again.

"Yes, tomorrow. Right now you can barely keep your balance; you'd be asleep before the end of the second scene, and I don't think the other audience members would appreciate you talking through the whole show."

I decided to compromise on the matter and let Edward take me to a play the next night. "Ok. Then I think I'm going to take a nap now." I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillow.

When I woke, it was still dark outside. The digital clock on my bedside table said it was just after five in the morning. My nap had turned into sleeping; Edward should have woke me up.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?"

Edward was laying across his side of the bed, watching the television. It was on such low volume that I couldn't hear much more than a slight hum.

"No. Going to bed at seven at night makes five A.M. a normal wake up time," I replied as I stretched. "I'm going to grab a shower."

After showering, dressing, and attempting to tame my unruly hair by pulling into a tight ponytail, I crawled back into bed to snuggle against Edward. He had his lips pursed as he listened to the weatherman, whom I couldn't even hear.

"Sunny?" I guessed by his facial features.

"Not until later this afternoon. But tomorrow he's betting his day's paycheck that it'll be beautiful all day long."

"So we'll just hang around here. No big deal."

Edward didn't look like he thought it was no big deal.

"You can't hope for perfectly dreary weather everyday." I pointed out. "We are bound to run across a few of those horrible sunny days." I was teasing him just a little bit.

"I hate having to see you stay inside simply because of me," he replied grumpily. "It's your honeymoon. You should be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want."

"I want to be wherever you are."

He looked at me darkly. "Still. I hate keeping you in the shade all the time."

"I consider it practice for the future." That didn't help his mood.

"Exactly. You should be living every sunny day like it's your last."

"I had my share of sunny days in Phoenix. I don't mind the rain anymore. And it's not like I can't physically go out in the sun after. We'll find a nice private place we can go and sparkle together."

Edward continued to pout, so I decided to change the subject to what we were doing that day. "The beginning of today looks good. And I'm already awake and ready. What should we go do?"

Edward saw through my flimsy attempt to change the subject, but humored me anyway. "Would you like to go see Windsor Castle? And then, if there's time, the British Museum perhaps."

I agreed and as soon as we saw the sky lightening we left the hotel. I bought a croissant stuffed with ham and cheese from a small bakery on our way to Paddington Station, where we would catch the train to Windsor. The castle was gorgeous. I got to see the Changing of the Guard. I also had Edward take my picture as I stood next to one of the stoic guards. I fought the urge to poke him to see what happened; he was armed with a very large automatic firearm.

The British Museum was huge. We knew we couldn't see the whole thing in the small amount of time we had before the sun was scheduled to make its appearance. Already I could tell the clouds were getting thinner, and off in the distance blue sky peaked out. We were back in the hotel by three o'clock; the sun was shining by three-fifteen.

This time I took a real nap. Edward woke me just after five o'clock so I could order room service for dinner and get ready to go see Phantom of the Opera. We took a taxi to and from the theater; Edward said the Underground was just too dangerous for me. That night I dreamt that it was Edward's face behind the Phantom's mask.

The next day was sunny, as promised. I downloaded all the pictures I had taken with my digital camera onto my new laptop. I picked the best ones and sent them off to Renee in an e-mail letting her know that we had arrived safely and were having fun. The rest of the day went slowly compared to the pace of the last few days. Finally, as the sun set, it was time to leave for the airport and our next flight.

The city of Berlin had never been added to my list of places to see in my lifetime; now I would be eternally grateful to Edward for bringing me here. I blamed my Social Studies teachers for inoculating me with a dark feeling for Germany that, as I stood in the magnificent city, slowly ebbed away. Berlin was an odd combination of the old and new. So much had been destroyed in World War II and the subsequent decades of partition that modern skyscrapers reared up right next to century old churches. It reminded me of the way I must look next to Edward; the modern ugliness of glass and steel next to the beauty of old stone.

Edward had booked us into another five star hotel, the Grand Hotel Esplanade. Unlike the hotel in London, which was hidden within a century old shell, this hotel was throughly modern. The entrance had a waterfall and the lobby looked more like an art gallery than a hotel. Our room overlooked one of Berlin's canals and the museum that sat on the other side of it. I gazed at the twinkling city lights for a few minutes before crawling into bed. The short flight made it the middle of the night here, and I was exhausted.

The next day, much to Edward's chagrin, was beautifully sunny. His mood improved, however, when the weather forecast called for a cold front to move in over night, bringing torrential rain for the next day and clouds for the day after.

Edward ordered room service for me that afternoon. "You should try some of the traditional foods here," he said when I picked up the tray cover to find German sausages, noodles called Spätzle, and a frosted mug of dark beer.

"But beer?"

"You can legally drink here," he reminded me. "Just humor me and call it another human experience I'd like you to have. We can travel as much as you want later, but you won't ever be able to try the local fare again."

The food was good, but the beer tasted awful. I felt sure I would have enjoyed wine better; Edward assured me I could have some of that in France. The beer made me think of something that I hadn't thought much of a few days ago.

"Edward, can I ask something?"

"Depends on what it is," he replied smoothly.

"When we were in Chicago, in the cemetery... that vampire, the one who asked if you would share, said something about killing people who were drunk. You said my imaginary alcohol soaked blood made you feel good. So can a vampire get drunk, if he bit someone who was really, really intoxicated?"

"Not drunk, exactly," Edward replied carefully. It sounded like he didn't want to give away too many details. "But it does give a different feeling than just regular blood; sort of a euphoric light headed feeling, but without the loss of self control that humans get when drunk."

I chose my next words carefully. "You sound like you know from first hand experience."

Edward gave a hollow laugh. "You know I'm not perfect, Bella. All of those men I killed were the very worst of human society, or at least that's what I tell myself. People like that are often drunk; very often that's all it takes for them to lose that last strand of morality they had in the first place."

We spent the rest of the day at the hotel's indoor pool, which had tinted windows that prevented full sunlight from coming in. After sunset, Edward took me on a canal cruise of the city, so that I could see all the buildings lit up. Along the way he pointed out all the historical spots and translated for the tour guide. Of course Edward spoke perfect German.

Rain pounded down on us as we went around the city the next day. Even our plastic ponchos couldn't keep us one-hundred percent dry, though the rain meant we were some of the few tourists out and about. Edward took me to see the Pariser Platz and the Brandenburg Gate, along with what was left of the Berlin Wall and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. That evening we went to a performance of the Berlin Orchestra at Charlottenburg Palace.

The rain had stopped, happily, by the next day. I still wasn't properly dry from the day before.

"So what's on the agenda today?" I asked in between bites of my toast and jam.

"The Pergamon Museum," he replied, "if you would like. And then perhaps a trip out of the city to where the Sachsenhausen Concentration camp was."

"Gee, nothing like a concentration camp to finish off the trip on a happy note."

"History isn't always happy," he replied.

"It usually isn't. Why is it that all historians seem to remember are the awful events: wars, disasters, famine, depression? Couldn't they record something happy?"

"Ah, but then there wouldn't be anything to learn from it. The trick to history is not to repeat it."

"Maybe if we tried repeating the happy times there wouldn't be so many wars."

Edward shook his head at me. Apparently he didn't agree with my solution for world peace.

* * *

A/N: I know this wasn't a very exciting chapter. It's a means from getting from one point to another. Next chapter is much more exciting, I promise, so please stay tuned. And remember to leave a review and let me know how you are liking the story so far.


	6. Lucky Break

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 6

Lucky Break

That night we caught a small plane to Paris. I looked down on the City of Love as we landed, marveling at all the lights.

"What are you thinking about?" Edward asked lightly.

"How shocked I am that you took me to Germany and never once dragged me on the autobahn so you could go two hundred miles an hour legally," I teased.

"You would have been terrified the whole time."

"Probably, but you would have had fun."

"Maybe I crept out while you were sleeping."

"No, you might have missed something interesting that I said in my sleep."

Edward laughed. "I've done the autobahn before. But seriously, what are you thinking about."

I shrugged. "Not much. Just how pretty the city looks from up here."

"Are you enjoying yourself so far?"

"Of course. Haven't I shown it?" I was afraid that somehow Edward had missed the thrill I was having hopping around Europe.

"I just want to be sure. I thought maybe you would have preferred we just went one place for two weeks, rather than travel around."

"No, I like seeing different places. It gives me a taste of what I'd like to see more of when we are able to travel later."

Edward seemed satisfied with my response; he didn't ask any more questions while we landed. I was surprised when he went to rent a car instead of hailing a taxi to take us to our hotel.

"Are we going to be doing a lot of driving around the city?" I asked tentatively.

"No, we aren't staying in the city. I have somewhere different planned for the next three days." And that was the only clue I received.

Edward didn't drive any differently in France than he did in Forks. The French countryside zoomed past my window in blurry electric streaks, when I could see anything at all. I gathered that we were driving south, at a very high rate of speed, but I couldn't get Edward to tell me much else. Finally, a little after one in the morning, Edward turned onto a stone driveway. I squinted through the darkness for a hotel, but saw nothing. We continued to drive and eventually I saw a light ahead. Edward parked in front of a humble cottage, raised six feet into the air on stilts. A light had been left on above the door for us.

As soon as I got out of the car, I smelled salt in the air. "You brought me to the beach!" I cried happily, rushing forward to try and see the waves I could quite clearly hear; but I couldn't see anything in the blackness. "Oh, but Edward, aren't you afraid you won't be able to come outside with me?"

Edward grinned. "Not when we have five miles of private beach."

I mouthed the words 'five miles' back at him in shock.

The inside of the cottage was decorated in a colonial style. It was small, having only a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom, and deck overlooking the beach, but it was cozy. Edward had all our luggage inside within two minutes. I immediately headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I was excited that we could spend the next three days outside regardless of what the weather was.

When I opened my eyes the next morning I was overjoyed to see sunlight streaming around the sides of the curtain; it didn't take long for the excitement to drive away any grogginess. I hopped out of bed and practically skipped over to where Edward was sitting with a book in his lap.

"Someone is in a good mood this morning," he commented after I planted a kiss on his lips.

"I'm excited about being able to go out on a sunny beach with you."

I hurried through breakfast; I didn't want to eat, but Edward insisted. After the sweet rolls, I changed into my bathing suit and lathered myself with seventy SPF sunscreen. Years of living in Phoenix had done nothing to make my skin immune to sunburns.

Finally we stepped out onto the deck and descended the stairs into the golden sand. The Mediterranean Ocean stretched out in front of me. It glistened in the sunlight: a beautiful blue-green color that allowed me to see the sandy bottom easily as I played in the surf. I looked back at Edward, who was also glistening. He was watching me with an amused smile on his face. There was an Adidas sport bag at his feet; the contents of which he had kept a secret.

"What if a boat sailed near and saw you," I asked, still disbelieving that it was completely safe for him to be out in the sunlight.

"There are sand bars going out for at least two miles, so no craft would get very close. Plus, I could spot a boat long before they got close enough to see that it was a person who was sparkling."

Edward unzipped the sports bag to reveal a pair of fins, snorkel, and two masks. He handed me most of the gear, keeping one of the masks for himself.

"You're letting me in the water," I teased. "Aren't you afraid my tasty blood will attract sharks?"

"If I was a shark, I might try to take a bite of you." For once, Edward didn't seem angered by my casual joke about the smell of my blood. He was grinning at me. "I'll protect you from any sea creatures that try and get too close. And maybe I'll get lucky; I've always wondered what Great White tastes like."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "There are Great Whites here?"

"Scared of sharks, Bella?" He was teasing me again. I wasn't amused though.

"There was a girl in my class in Phoenix who was bitten by a Great White while on vacation at La Joya. She had a foot long scar on the back of her leg."

"Bella, I wouldn't take you anywhere if I thought you were at a higher than normal risk of injury. That includes the ocean. Besides, most animals seem to know that I am a predator, so they stay away. Sharks are probably included. Though I wasn't kidding about tasting Great White; maybe we'll have to go to Africa sometime in the future for a hunting trip."

I must have made a face, because he laughed. "Or if you're too scared, I'll just take Alice."

The mental image of Alice taking on Jaws popped, unwelcome, into my head. The shark would be able to swallow her whole.

"I think I'll just stick with deer, thanks."

Edward laughed again.

We snorkeled for the rest of the morning and early afternoon. The sand bars were teeming with life: sand dollars, star fish, small fish and crabs. I knew I needed to get out of the water eventually, or my back would start resembling a lobster

"That was fun," I said, my voice scratchy from all the seawater I had managed to swallow through the snorkel.

"And I didn't have to fight off any sharks." I might have imagined it, but Edward actually sounded disappointed.

That night Edward had a private chef come to cook me French cuisine. As promised, there was plenty of wine, but even two glasses of a sweet blush zinfandel couldn't convince me to try the escargot.

"You'll regret it in two hundred years," Edward whittled as he tried to feed me a garlicky snail.

"I can live for a million years and never regret not trying snails," I returned, speaking through my teeth for fear he might stick the offending morsel into my mouth when I was talking.

"You liked everything else."

"Everything else wasn't snails." True, I had been slightly turned off by the bouillabaisse but discovered it was quite good after trying it. But there was no way I was eating a snail.

"You'll eat mushrooms, which are fungus. Why not snails?"

"Edward, I have no desire to try a snail, now or ever."

"You are so unadventurous," he complained. "First no Great Whites, now no snails."

I won the battle of the snails, and the next two snail-free days were spent in glorious sunshine on our private beach.

The final three days of our European adventure were to be spent in Madrid, Spain. It seemed, however, that our weather luck had run out; there was nothing but sunshine forecast for the next week. As a result, Edward was in a bad mood.

"We can go out at night," I soothed. "I'm sure Madrid is very pretty at night."

"Not everything is open at night," he grumbled. He dark eyes smoldered. It had been almost two weeks since he had fed. That wasn't helping his mood.

I flipped idly through the tourist book provided by the hotel, looking for activities to do after sunset. A bright blue insert caught my attention. Written in both Spanish and English was an advertisement for the annual Madrid street fair, which was taking place this week and only a few blocks away from out hotel. I hit upon an idea.

"You know, I could go out on my own for a few hours. I will be safe in the sunlight."

Edward pursed his lips; I knew he didn't like allowing me out of his sight for more than five minutes.

"Look." I showed him the advertisement. "I can go stroll around the street fair for a few hours: enjoy the sunshine, buy some souvenirs. You could leave before sunrise and go hunting. I promise I'll be safely back here before sundown."

"I don't need to go hunting. I can wait here."

"Why, so you can worry about me the whole time? Edward, you know you'd be more comfortable if you went hunting."

"You aren't going to let this go, are you?"

I shook my head. "You want me to see the city, so it should make you happy. I want you to go hunting so I don't have to deal with a moody husband."

"I don't get moody when I'm thirsty."

I wasn't going to start an argument over it. "Will you please just consider it. I'd really like to go out and see more than the inside of the hotel."

That was probably what did it. Edward would do almost anything if he knew it would make me happy. And really, what sort of trouble could I get into in a street fair clogged with people and sunlight?

"Ok. You can go to the street fair, but I want you to take your cell phone."

"I can do that. What are you going to do?"

"If you want me to go hunting I'll go at night, that way I can be back early in the morning."

"So you can sit around and worry about me during the day?"

"Don't worry about what I'm worrying about."

As promised, Edward was back from hunting before I even woke up. The only clue that he had even left was the fact that his eyes had gone from black to liquid gold.

He pressed a silver cell phone into my hand. "Have fun. Buy something nice for yourself."

I headed out into the beautiful morning sunlight and walked toward the street fair. It wasn't hard to find, even with my deluded sense of direction. Several streets had been blocked off from traffic and huge tents had been raised to protect shoppers from the full glare of the Spanish sun. Already there was quite a crowd, despite the early time. Local merchants had their wares set up on long, collapsible tables. I crept through the other tourists, browsing at a few stands. I stopped to buy some beautiful watercolor paintings of the city from an old señor. I frowned at the new wad of paper bills that had been slipped into my purse.

As I continued through the maze of tented avenues, I realized that finding my way out of the street fair and back to the hotel would be far more difficult than finding the fair in the first place. I tried to remember street names, but the unfamiliar words wouldn't stick in my memory. I supposed I could always ask, in my very poor and broken Spanish, which direction the Plaza Hotel was. If they spoke slowly enough, I could understand simple directions. Not for the first time, I wished I had paid a little more attention during Spanish class.

I turned a corner and found yet another alley. This one was slightly less crowded, but also far more narrow; tables were only lined along one side of the darkened street. Even without tents, the tiny alley would likely have been in shadow for most of the day, due to the towering buildings on either side. As I passed by a table full of antiques, I happened to glance up at the merchants. My heart stopped. Three people were seated in shadow behind the stand, two women and one man. They were speaking rapidly in Spanish in hushed voices, but it was their skin that I noticed first; it was the same pale, cold, beautiful skin that all the Cullens' had. My eyes automatically moved to their faces, which even in the shadows I could tell were gorgeous. All three were of Spanish decent, and obviously vampires. I needed to get back to the hotel, immediately.

I turned abruptly, probably too abruptly, and I saw the male lift his head to look at me. His eyes were almost as black as Edward's had been last night. Great, I had stumbled upon thirsty vampires. I blushed and turned my eyes away as I tried to remember the fastest way back to the hotel. There was a crowd of British tourists blocking the end of the alley I had entered from; they were gathered excitedly around one of the stands. I only wanted to move away from the antique stand, so without thinking I headed in the opposite direction. I was sure I could simply go around the block in a big circle and head back to the safety of the hotel and Edward. Somewhere along the way, however, I made a wrong turn. The city wasn't laid out in a grid pattern; there didn't seem to be a easy way back to the main street. Now I was in an alley that wasn't part of the street fair, and like the one where I saw the vampires, it was long, narrow and very dark. I could see sunlight at the end, however, so I decided to follow it. Once I was in the sun I knew I would be safer; I could simply ask someone with brown eyes and a tan for directions.

I was practically running when I heard someone say something in rapid Spanish from behind me. I automatically turned my head to see who it was, but there was no one there. When I turned back around, toward the sunlight, the male vampire was standing in front of me. I bit down a scream.

"No hablo Espanol." I tried, my tongue moving clumsily over the pronunciation.

The man smiled. Great, now he knew I was a witless tourist who wouldn't be easily missed. I fingered the cell phone in my pocket. I doubted he would let me pull it out, never mind dial. Besides, Edward was fast, but he wasn't that fast. I tried not to think about how he would react to my death. He would certainly hunt down this creature, but then what? Probably catch a flight to Italy to kill himself.

I was backing up now, going the wrong way, but the vampire in front of me was blocking my path. I couldn't see his eyes in the dim light, but I knew they were black with thirst, and I knew that I smelled better than the average human.

"Please don't…no porfavor." Like begging would help me now. I tried to think of how to say 'my mate will kill you if you kill me' in Spanish, but the only words I knew were 'kill' and 'me' and 'you.' Ironic.

He took another menacing step toward me, and I closed my eyes, determined not to scream. I hoped he would make it quick. And suddenly I heard an odd sound; there was a thud and a low snarl, followed by rapid Spanish.

I peeled my eyelids open, thinking I'd see Edward ripping the other vampire to pieces. Instead I saw the two female vampires. They were holding the male against the alley's brick wall while he struggled and growled, throwing angry glances in my direction. They were speaking to him rapidly, and I saw him slowly begin to relax. The growling stopped.

One of the females turned in my direction, and I recognized surprise on her face. She was probably wondering why I hadn't fled by now; I was wondering the same thing myself, but my legs didn't seem to want to move. It felt like I was being supported by Jello.

"Hablas Espanol?" She directed it at me.

"No…hablo Ingles." My voice was still shaking. I didn't understand why I wasn't dead.

She was looking at me with confusion now. She took a small step forward and leaned her nose in my direction, inhaling deeply. She turned to the male, who was standing by the wall, looking like a scolded dog, and asked a question in Spanish. He shrugged and replied quickly.

It clicked in my mind, suddenly. All those times Jake had told me that I stunk, even though I couldn't smell a thing. Edward's scent was all over me. This female was probably trying to understand why a human could reek like a vampire and still be living.

"You can smell him on me, can't you?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," she answered, with a perfect British accent. "I have heard that the Volturi will sometimes employ humans, but you are absolutely enveloped with this scent."

If I was going to die, they might as well know who would be hunting them down. "You smell my mate, my husband."

To my surprise the woman laughed. Did she not believe me? "See, Reina, I told you we couldn't be the only ones with this idea. But to marry a human… your husband must have very good self control."

"Very good self control when it comes to humans," I replied. "Not such good self control when it comes to finding those who threaten me." Great, Bella, threaten the vampires, that's a great idea.

Again the woman laughed. "Say you are sorry, Alonso."

I thought she was being sarcastic until the male stepped forward and mumbled "I'm sorry." His English was not as good as the female's; it was tainted with a thick Spanish accent.

"Sarita and I try not to feed on humans," said the other female, Reina, in equally perfect English. "But Alonso hasn't been with us very long. And you do smell very tasty, though I'm not sure how he missed your mate's smell."

I was starting to feel more at ease. Edward would be interested in knowing there were other groups besides his and Tanya's families who abstained from human blood. "I'm sure Edward would like to meet you. He doesn't often run into others who share the same diet as him. Will you be at the street fair tomorrow?"

"Yes. Send your Edward to find us before dawn tomorrow, we too would like to speak with him."

I nodded and the three vampires turned to return to their stall. "Wait," I called. "Can you point me in the direction of the Plaza Hotel?"

Reina, who seemed to be the leader of her small coven, gave me directions that led me back to my hotel. After wandering in the dark alleys, I had ended up only a few blocks behind the hotel. I followed her directions and as I rounded a corner I could finally see the rear of the high rise in the distance. There was a sudden whoosh of air and I turned as a blur sped past me. Edward had stopped half way down the dim alley I had just walked out of. He was staring at me with a mixture of fury, relief, and euphoria on his face.

"Got a call from Alice, didn't you?" Why did I sound like I was apologizing?

The only response I got was a bone crushing hug. I knew he must have been panicked because usually his embraces were incredibly gentle. He raised my face with one finger so he could crush his lips against mine.

"You need to stop doing this to me, Bella," he finally murmured.

"You need to rely less on Alice," I responded.

"She saw you cornered; she said there was no doubt he intended to kill you."

"I was rescued." I told him everything that had conspired up until he had run past me.

Edward simply shook his head; I couldn't tell if he was expressing amazement or incredulity. "That's two lucky breaks in the same month, Bella."

"I know."

"But tell me again, why, after spotting the vampires, you continued down the dark, sunless alley. Why didn't you just go back to the main street and the sunshine?"

"I told you, there was a group of British tourists blocking that end of the alley. They were looking at one of the booths."

"Exactly. Why didn't you go stand with them. There is safety in numbers, and at least you can speak their language. What were you thinking?"

I felt instantly foolish and incredibly stupid. Edward had a point; I had done the exact opposite of what a rational person would have done The hot tears of shame were in my eyes before I could stop them.

Edward pulled me back into his arms, though much more gently than before. He rubbed soothing circles on my back with the palm of his hand. "I didn't mean to make you cry," he apologized. "You just had me terrified that something had happened to you."

Of course he thought it was his fault I was crying. "I'm sorry," I blubbered into his chest, "for making you worry. I don't get myself into these messes on purpose. And you didn't make me cry; I'm horrified at myself. I have awful survival instincts."

"It's my fault for leaving you alone. I never should have let you go out."

"Edward, you can't possibly blame this on yourself."

"I can and will."

I growled at him, my tears drying up. "You can't hold yourself responsible every time _I_ get myself into trouble. You are my husband, not my keeper."

"And as your husband I will make sure you don't get in any more trouble."

"Great," I grumbled. "I suppose that means you're not letting me out of your sight again until my heart stops beating and I start craving humans."

He gave me a look that clearly said he wasn't amused.

"Should we let Alice know I'm alive?" I asked, in hopes of changing the subject.

Edward pulled out his silver cell phone. "Hopefully she's learned from last time and hasn't gotten the entire family worried." He pressed it to his ear.

Alice must have answered almost immediately. "She's fine," Edward assured. "No, you saw correctly, but two others stepped in." He gave Alice an abbreviated version of my story then answered another question. "No, not yet. Tomorrow probably."

He paused as Alice said something else. I saw a smile flit suddenly across his face. "Tell Jasper that's tempting, but no."

Suddenly he was holding the phone out to me. "Alice wants to talk to you." He said it in the same tone teachers use when sending kids to the principal's office.

I took a deep breath before speaking, but little more than a squeak came out. "Hello."

"Bella, are you _trying_ to be the first human to give a vampire an ulcer, because I'm seriously contemplating chugging some Alcaseltzer to feel better."

"Don't worry, Alice, Edward already read me the riot act," I replied dryly.

"Fine, but do try and be careful, Bella, please. You're my sister now, and I don't want to lose you." Alice was making me feel worse than Edward had. There was a click and the call was over.

I handed the cell phone back to Edward and asked, "What did Jasper say?"

Edward grinned. "He told me I should fly you home tonight and bite you as soon as we land so Alice can stop worrying."

Actually, it wasn't so bad of an idea. "You said no, though." The disappointment crept into my voice.

He looked at me in shock. "Of course I said no. First off, what would we tell Charlie. Second, I refuse to bite you simply because you are threatened. We'll go ahead with things as planned."

Which meant two days holed up in the hotel room until our flight home: how fun.

"So, are you going to meet with their coven?" I asked.

"Yes, I owe it to Carlisle to find out about how these vampires live. He'd want to know about them."

"You aren't going to do anything stupid to avenge me, are you?"

"I'm going to try to be civil," Edward responded. "But if the male so much as thinks something inappropriate..." He snarled.

"Behave yourself. The females did save me, and you killing the male isn't going to endear them to either of us."

"I'm not promising anything other than that I'll try," he responded.

* * *

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this one more than the last one. Please review and let me know what you think.


	7. The Sisters' Story

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 7

The Sisters' Story

I slept lightly, eager about our meeting with the vampires in the early morning. When I felt Edward get off the bed I woke up instantly and started getting dressed.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Getting dressed," I answered. Wasn't it obvious.

"Why?"

"Because we're going to see Reina, and Sarita, and Alonso."

"No, Bella. _I'm_ going to see them."

He wasn't leaving me behind. "No, Edward, _we're_ going. You promised you weren't going to let me out of your sight again."

"You're safer here," he replied.

"And what if I try to follow you. There's no Alice to kidnap and baby sit me here."

He sighed in exasperation. "Do you have to be difficult?"

"I want to go."

"You want to go see a vampire who tried to kill you less than twenty-four hours ago?"

"He didn't mean it."

"I'm sure he meant it, Bella."

"He was thirsty, and I smell good and was alone. He isn't totally to blame. Jasper has tried to kill me and you leave me alone with him."

"You were bleeding at that time. It would be different if Jasper had tried to kill you simply because of the way you smell normally."

"You won't let anything happen to me. And Reina and Sarita seem to have my well being at heart."

"It would be easier if you just stayed here," Edward growled.

"But you know I won't." I smiled because I knew he couldn't prevent me from following.

"I'll tie you to the bed."

"You wouldn't!"

Edward lifted an eyebrow as he looked at me. "Wouldn't I?"

"You have no rope."

"I don't need rope, Bella. Electrical cords would work just fine, and there are plenty of those in here."

"Edward, I want to go with you. I'll scream and raise hell if you leave me tied up in here. I'm sure the guests next to us would call the front desk. Someone would come up and free me, and you'd have a lot to explain to the police."

"Not if I gagged you too."

"Argh! You're impossible. Just take me with you."

Edward was silent for a moment while I stared him down. "Fine, against my better judgment, I'll take you with me. But I don't want to hear another complaint for the rest of the trip. No, I take that back. I don't want to hear another complaint for the rest of the summer."

"Agreed," I replied happily as I continued to get dressed.

The streets were empty as we walked down the avenue that housed the main part of the street fair. All the stalls were closed up for the night, making the street eerily quiet. Edward kept his arm tightly around me as we walked. I showed him the alley where I had first encountered the vampires yesterday.

"They are waiting for us," he told me quietly. I couldn't see anything down the pitch black avenue. Slowly, though, my eyes made out three ghost like shapes coming toward us.

"You must be Edward," said one of the females. I couldn't make out which one in the dark. "I'm Reina. This is my sister, Sarita, and her mate, Alonso. We were afraid you might not come, due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding our meeting with your wife."

I noticed that Alonso was being very quiet. He was standing slightly behind Sarita, looking very submissive. I realized he was probably terrified that Edward was going to hurt him. I wondered what Edward was hearing in his head.

"Well, it seems I owe you and Sarita a debt of gratitude," Edward responded, "for keeping Bella safe yesterday morning."

Alonso shrank back even more at the words.

"We're being rude making you talk in the street," Sarita said. "Would you like to come back to our apartment? I know there is much Reina and I would like to ask you about your lifestyle and I'm sure you have some questions as well."

Edward nodded in acceptance and the sisters led us through the dark streets. Their apartment wasn't far from their stand. It was small, but very tidy. The kitchen was filled with the antiques they were selling at the street fair. Reina turned on a table lamp in the next room, illuminating a sofa, recliner and modest sized television.

"Please, have a seat. I'm afraid we have little to offer you, Bella, in terms of refreshments."

"I'm fine, thank you," I stuttered. Edward seated me on the far end of the sofa, with himself in the middle. Reina sat next to him while Sarita took the recliner. Alonso, still silent, settled himself on the floor next to his mate. He looked very much like he'd rather be somewhere else.

In the light I could properly see the vampires again. Their eyes were now liquid gold, just like Edward's. After the incident with me, they had apparently felt the need to go hunting. I hadn't noticed before how much alike Sarita and Reina were in appearance. I wondered if they might be twins.

"For years, Sarita and I wondered if we were the only ones who abstained from human blood," Reina began. "And then yesterday we met Bella, a human who was married to a vampire. We are very happy to know we are not alone in our lifestyle choice. Would you share with us how you came upon this life?"

I listened silently as Edward told the three Spanish vampires about Carlisle's extraordinary efforts to fight the lust for human blood and his discovery that animal blood could sustain him. He also told them how he had been changed by Carlisle and briefly mentioned the other members of his family. The sisters seemed to be in awe over the size of the coven; Alonso seemed terrified that he had almost pissed off seven foreign vampires.

"Have you encountered others like you?" Sarita asked.

"There is a smaller clan in Denali, Alaska. Until I met you, we assumed we were the only two groups who followed such a life."

"Knowing there are others certainly helps," said Reina.

"You sound like you have existed for a long time thinking you and your coven were the only ones who didn't drink human blood?" Edward was politely asking for their story.

Reina understood the request. "Like your Carlisle, Sarita and I have never tasted human blood. Sadly, I cannot say we arrived at that point in the same way. Sarita and I were born in Cordoba in 1552. Our grandfather had always been wealthy, but he became rich beyond imagination after he financed several trips to the Americas. He was paid in Aztec and Incan gold and silver. Our father was his sole heir, and thus Sarita and I had everything we ever wanted, needed, or desired."

"Except a father," Sarita added bitterly.

"True. We almost never saw our father. He was always wrapped up in business or mistresses."

Sarita took over the story. "When our mother died just before we turned seventeen, Father decided to move us to a house in Sevilla, closer to where he did business. I don't think he intended to keep us around for very long before marrying us off."

"But we were loathe to part with each other," continued Reina, giving her sister a fond look. "So we found every plausible reason to turn down the bachelors who courted us."

"We got away with it for a little over three years," Sarita picked up. "But now we were twenty; practically old maids in our father's eyes. He'd had enough of our games, as he called them, and informed us one evening in late May that we were to be married. My hand had been promised to a Duke in Madrid; Reina was to be wed to the son of a Portuguese noble. We were inconsolable, but our father would have none of our begging and crying. He ordered us to go to church, confess our sins to the priest, and make ourselves pure for the upcoming weddings. That night was the last time we ever saw him."

Reina took control of the story again, seamlessly starting where her sister had paused. "We went to church, as our father requested. He was so cross that he wouldn't order the carriage for us. He told us to walk the six or seven blocks and we obeyed. By the time we left the church after confession and prayers, it was after sunset."

"I saw him first," Sarita explained. "The most beautiful man I'd ever laid eyes on. He was dressed well, clearly of noble background. His carriage had pulled up beside us and he hung out the door, asking why we were walking. He knew our names and who our father was, most eligible bachelors did, and he offered us a ride home. Although we didn't know him, we felt reassured by his beauty and his knowledge of us, so we accepted."

Reina spoke again, but more quietly than before, like she was having a hard time with the memories her story was dredging up. "It was dark inside the carriage; the lamps hadn't been lit. We could see only by the light from the street lamps. He sat opposite from us, smiling at us both. It wasn't until the door was shut by the driver and we were on our way that I began to feel nervous. But I brushed aside the feeling as a result of the dim lighting and the fact that I couldn't clearly see his face. He asked Sarita to come sit by him and she obliged. I won't lie; I was jealous of her then. I couldn't watch them sitting so close, so I looked out the window. When I heard an odd sound I looked back. At first I thought he was kissing her neck, but then Sarita screamed. I jumped up, intending to accost him for his impropriety. He was on me before I knew what happened. He bit me too; there was searing pain in my neck. He left me lying in the bottom of the carriage, bleeding and screaming in pain. Sarita was still writhing on the seat. He climbed out the door to join the coachman; now I realize he was getting fresh air so he didn't kill us."

"I remember little more than the hideous pain," Sarita continued. "At some point, a pair of stony arms pulled me from the carriage and hauled me inside some building. I remember begging for whoever it was to please kill me, but I received no response. I lost consciousness then, and when I woke I thought I was in a dark cellar; it turned out to be a pit. The walls had been hewn from bedrock and the only entrance was a wooden hatch fifty feet above us, in the middle of the rock ceiling. Reina was laying next to me. She was also awake and staring at our new surroundings. We received light from a single, tiny oil lamp. There was an awful burning at the back of my throat. I saw Reina's red eyes and panicked; I thought she was ill. Then she told me my eyes were blood red as well. We wouldn't know exactly what we had turned into for many years."

"Our captor kept us starved," added Reina. "Time passed in a different way down there. We didn't realize that we couldn't sleep and that our hunger had been altered. We spent the first few months thinking it was the same day we had arrived; we kept waiting for our stomachs to growl, or to grow tired. Eventually we started counting seconds, so we knew time was passing. And then Sarita realized that our hearts no longer beat. We felt sure, then, that we were dead and in hell. Despite the moral life we had tried to lead, clearly we hadn't been good enough. It explained the lack of a heart beat, the burning thirst, the inability to sleep, and the absence of all bodily functions, but then Sarita brought up a good point."

"If we were truly in hell, why were we still together? True hell would exist without my sister," explained Sarita. "So we determined we must be in purgatory instead, and if we waited patiently, we would one day ascend to heaven. So we began praying for our salvation."

"We knew time was passing because we began to feel weaker and we saw blackness replace the red in our eyes. Then one day the door in the ceiling opened and we were blinded by the bright light that came through."

"We thought we were being taken up into heaven." Sarita laughed bitterly. "Little did we know that the true hell was about to start."

"The man who had attacked us in the carriage dropped into our cell," Reina continued. "He landed in a crouched position and then stood. We were shocked he could survive such a jump unscathed. A friend of his followed him down. 'If you are good, you'll get a reward,' he told us."

"Then he forced himself on me," growled Sarita. "I tried to push him away; I tried to scratch, bite, kick, but he was stronger than me. I could hear Reina screaming as his friend raped her. Eventually we both stopped screaming and fighting. We allowed them to take their pleasure of us. When they were satisfied a rope ladder dropped down from the ceiling hatch. They climbed up without a word and sealed us back in, but not before giving us our 'reward.' Two jack rabbits were dropped into our pit."

"Sarita and I reacted out of starvation and instinct. We were on the rabbits before they hit the floor. Afterward we were mortified by what we had done. We tried to eat the flesh and convince ourselves that hunger was to blame, but only the blood appealed to us. We thought we had become demons."

Sarita continued the morbid tale. "This is how we spent our first two hundred years of immortality; we were used for pleasure. Sometimes it was our creator and his friends, sometimes it was vampires we had never seen before and never saw again. When we behaved, we were rewarded with food...never human blood, always small animals of some sort. If we didn't cooperate, we were punished." She said nothing more on that matter, but I saw Edward physically shudder at whatever she was thinking.

"So how did you escape?" I breathed, throughly absorbed in the horrific story.

"We were rescued, in a sense," Reina replied. "The hatch opened one day and we prepared ourselves for the usual. This time, however, only one man dropped through; usually two were sent to occupy us both. He came at me like the others and I cowered against the stone walls. But instead of raping me he spoke, very gently and so quietly that I could barely hear him. 'I can get you out of here,' he said, 'but you have to trust me.' He gave Sarita the same message. We conferred and decided that things couldn't get worse than they were, so we agreed."

"He told us that he would distract our guard and we should climb up the rope ladder when he told us to," added Sarita. "So he called up to the guard to let him know he was finished with us. The rope ladder swung down, as usual. He climbed up, and just as he reached the top, he threw the guard down into the pit. He jumped back down on top of him. 'Get up the ladder,' he growled at us.

We scrambled up through the hatch and watched the tussle below. He seemed to get the better of the guard for a moment and he jumped for the ladder, shouting, 'haul it up now.' We pulled as hard as we could on the ladder as he scrambled up. The guard jumped for the last rung, but it was already outside his reach. Once he was out of the hatch he slammed the cover shut, trapping the guard inside."

"And thus Sarita and I got our first look at the outside world in two centuries. Our prison had been hidden by a small building, no bigger than an outhouse. Once outside, we saw the large manor house set in the woods where the vampire who created us had lived in luxury. There was little time for explanation. We ran into the woods; we were shocked by our speed. Once he thought we were far enough away, our rescuer stopped. His name was Javier. He explained to us what we had become and how the vampire living in the manor had made money off our suffering. When he had learned about us, he thought our fate was deplorable, and set about to rescue us."

"So did he only feed on animals as well?" I asked.

Reina shook her head. "Although he had a conscious concerning the treatment of other vampires, he had no problem feeding off humans. He saw himself very much a Social Darwinist, feeding off the sick, the poor, and the people he felt were better off removed from the human gene pool. He tried to get us to join him; I think he was attracted to me. But after two hundred years of animal blood we weren't eager to feed on humans; we had clung so closely to our humanity that we couldn't bear the idea of killing someone. It wasn't always easy, but telling ourselves we were acting opposite from our captors helped keep us on an animal only diet."

"Reina and I slowly incorporated ourselves back into human society. We had nothing, so we lived in squalor for decades. Eventually we hit upon an idea; we had collected things over the years which were now considered antiques. We started selling them and making enough money to live comfortably among humans. We were out scrounging through human trash, looking for salvageable items when we found Alonso." Sarita smiled at her mate, who was still looking uncomfortable. "We took an instant liking to each other, but he had been living off humans for almost fifty years. He switched his diet for me, but it is not always easy for him. I hope you can forgive him for his actions yesterday."

I nodded to show that I did forgive him. Edward was not ready to take that step yet; he remained silent. I thought he was being a little hypocritical, since he too had almost killed me the first time he smelled me.

Sarita didn't seem to take any offense from Edward's silence however.

"The sun will be rising in less than half an hour," Reina said suddenly, looking at the the hanging clock. "I'm afraid we need to be getting our stand set up for the street fair."

Edward nodded in understanding. "And that means Bella and I need to get back to the hotel."

The three Spanish vampires stood to walk us out. "Tell your Carlisle that if he ever finds himself in Spain we would very much like to meet him."

"I will pass the message. And if you ever find yourselves in the United States, please try to locate us. We should be in the New Hampshire or Vermont area for the next couple of years." He didn't mention that Alice would see them coming anyway.

We were only in our hotel room for about five minutes before the sun peeped over the horizon. I stayed awake to watch the sunrise from the hotel balcony before crawling back into bed for a few more hours of sleep.

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone liked it. We will see Reina and Sarita again in the future. Please leave a review and tell me what you though. I love reading your guys' thoughts, so go fill up my e-mail box.


	8. Concessions

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 8

Concessions

Not surprisingly, it was raining when our plane landed in Washington. I called Charlie to let him know we had arrived home safely, but he already knew I would be living with Edward and his family for the few remaining days before I was leaving for "college."

"So what's the plan?" I asked Edward as we drove toward the Cullen home. "Are you really going to take classes, or is the whole Dartmouth thing just a cover for Charlie and Renee?"

"Since both our tuitions are already payed, I don't see why we shouldn't take classes."

His use of the plural didn't escape my notice. "Maybe because one of us will be tempted to kill all the students."

Edward's expression shifted; he looked a little guilty. "I might have a solution for that."

"You made a promise," I growled. "I'm not turning nineteen."

"I never said I was going to break my promise, as long as that's still what you want," he replied. "You're right about not being able to be around other students, but you could take classes online. You can use webcams to view the classroom and professor and see and hear the lectures. Homework and tests can be done and submitted online. Then, depending on how your self control is, perhaps you could take some classes in person your junior or senior year."

"That sounds great, Edward," I replied sarcastically, "except that I was under the impression that ivy league schools generally like you to show up for class in person."

"Usually they do, but they also have to accommodate students with special needs," he replied with a grin.

I groaned. "You made me into a special education student?"

"Not exactly. I made you into a student with physical disabilities that require her to attend class electronically."

"I wasn't aware that newborn vampire had been added to the national list of recognized disabilities," I said dryly.

Edward rolled his eyes. "I thought you would be happy to know you could still take classes?"

I sighed. "I am happy that I can still "attend" classes as you call it. But I'm not comfortable with all the lying and manipulating. It's bad enough you probably had to bribe them to let me in in the first place."

Edward looked at me seriously. "Bella, you are choosing a life where everyday involves lies. We have to reinvent ourselves every couple of years. We have to forge documents all the time."

I knew that already, but I couldn't describe why I felt comfortable with one but not with another.

"Fine," I gave up. "What exactly do I have that prevents me from going to class?"

"Autoimmune disorder," he replied.

I mouthed the words back at him. "And in English that means..."

He grinned. "Dartmouth thinks you can't be around other students because you had a heart transplant. The medications they give transplant patients to prevent rejection of the new organ cause many transplant patients to have such weak immune systems that being around large numbers of people is dangerous for them. Catching a cold can be fatal."

I stared at him in silent wonder. "You've turned me into the girl in the bubble!"

Edward laughed lightly as he turned into the hidden driveway to the Cullen home. "Carlisle sent them a _very_ official doctor's note."

"I bet he did." I couldn't help but smile. The Cullens' gigantic house came into view. There was a large moving van parked in front. I gave Edward a confused look.

"Alice, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie are coming with us," he replied to my unasked question.

"Ahhh, babysitters."

"It's to prevent you from doing something you'll regret later," he responded.

I understood. I was no longer to be babysat for my own safety, but for that of the humans in the nearby towns.

"What about Carlisle and Esme?" I inquired.

"They are going to join us in about six months. Carlisle doesn't want to suddenly leave the hospital again, but he knows he can't stay for much longer. This gives him a good excuse to move across the country; he'll just tell them that Esme misses me horribly, so they are moving to New Hampshire to be closer to us."

I had just one more question; it was also the one that worried me the most. "And what about the treaty with the werewolves? Jake made it very clear that he felt biting me was violating the agreement."

"We're trying to work on that," Edward responded gently. "Carlisle has asked to meet with them to renegotiate the terms of the treaty. Hopefully they will make an exception for you, but we might need to make some concessions as well."

I wondered silently what the werewolves could possibly demand other than what was already stipulated: stay off their land and don't bite or kill any humans.

"I bet Alice is pleased," I said instead. "Has my future as a vampire disappeared yet?"

"No, that decision is irrelevant to what happens with the the treaty. However, a favorable outcome would make things easier." He looked at me seriously again. "You realize you have ultimately chosen sides, Bella, if they refuse to negotiate on the treaty? If they will not change the treaty and you still want me to bite you, you may find yourself at war with former friends."

I shuddered. I would let them kill me before I harmed any of the wolves. At the same time, I had a hard time imagining any of the wolves trying to kill me. I looked at Edward; this was why he was still holding so tightly to the Dartmouth plan. He was _hoping_ that the wolves wouldn't agree and that would force me to change my mind about becoming a vampire. But my mind was already made up: damn the consequences.

That evening we got a message from the wolves. They were willing to meet with us. We were to meet them after midnight at the clearing where we had fought Victoria's newborns. I couldn't sleep because of the anticipation before hand, despite being exhausted from the jet lag and time zone confusion. The rain, miraculously, stopped by midnight and the clouds cleared out to reveal the stars and a half-moon. It lit up the meadow so brightly that I didn't need a flashlight as I walked through the grassy clearing. We stopped about half way. Alice immediately set to pacing; she hated being in the dark about the future.

I knew the wolves were approaching when I saw Edward suddenly stiffen. I couldn't hear or see them until they all emerged from the woods and entered the moonlit clearing, with Sam in the lead. Jacob's conspicuous absence from Sam's right side was more painful than I had anticipated.

Edward stepped forward to act as interpreter. He spoke using the wolf plural. "Our grandfathers made a treaty with you, which we still honor. Why should we change it?"

This sounded like it was going to go well.

"May we remind you that we chose to ignore it when one of your own broke that treaty by disclosing our secret to a human," Emmett growled. I had never seen him act so defensively. Carlisle gave him a pointed look before placing a restraining hand on his shoulder.

Sam growled something in response, and the rest of the pack nodded in agreement.

Edward sighed and resumed translating. "Jacob didn't know any better at the time; he didn't believe the stories himself. And may we remind you that Bella was coercive in getting him to tell her the secret."

Almost every eye in the meadow turned to look at me and I shrank back in shame. It figured that something I didn't even know I was doing at the time would come back to haunt me.

Carlisle spoke now. "What happened in the past is not of concern to this meeting. We are here to discuss the future. We have a dilemma. We swore a treaty with your forefathers to never again bite a human, but now a member of our family is threatened. The vampires who came here after the battle in June are a powerful coven who feed off humans. When they learned that Bella knew our secret, they were not pleased. We were given an ultimatum. Bella must either become a vampire or they will kill her."

Sam growled again and Edward shook his head in response. "No, we couldn't fight them. They have several talented individuals who make them all but invincible; there would be heavy casualties and little chance of victory."

I shuddered as I pictured Sam writhing in pain under Jane's stare. Edward was right; fighting the Volturi was _not_ an option.

"Yes, that's what we're asking," Edward responded to an unasked question from Sam.

There were several angry growls within the pack. Obviously not all the wolves were happy with our request, but I couldn't discern which wolves had expressed their displeasure. With a sharp bark, Sam had the pack back under control.

"They would like an hour to consider it," Edward said, this time speaking to his family.

"Of course," Carlisle responded.

With that, the wolves melted back into the woods and I was left with an hour to wonder if I was going to cause a war.

I watched the stars, a sight not often seen in Forks, while we waited for the wolves to return. The ground was damp, but soft, as I lay on my back, staring skyward. I wasted time hunting for constellations. I was so absorbed in tracking down Andromeda that I barely noticed Edward lay silently down beside me. It was only his voice that shook me out of my stargazing.

"Don't be worried," he whispered, finding my hand in the dark.

"I'm not worried," I replied unconvincingly,

"Bella, you know you can't lie."

"Don't you ever wonder if it would have just been easier if..." My voice trailed off with the thought. He would be angry at me for just thinking it.

"If what?" he coaxed.

"If you would have just let James change me?"

Edward snarled. "Never."

"We wouldn't be here worrying about the treaty," I pointed out.

"You're right. We wouldn't be here at all. We wouldn't even be in Washington state. Your parents would have listed you as a missing person; they might even think you are dead. You never would have completed high school. It would be like Bella Swan just fell off the face of the planet."

"But I'd be with you, wherever I was."

Edward shook his head. "No matter what the wolves decide, Bella, I will _never_ regret stopping you from becoming a vampire that day."

He wasn't helping me feel any better.

The wolves returned after only forty-five minutes.

"Well, that's not something I saw coming," Edward murmured.

I looked at him in confusion. "What? What did they decide?"

"You'll see," he replied. "He wants to speak with you first."

"What does Sam was to talk to me about?"

Edward wouldn't respond, he just pointed to the point in the trees where the wolves would appear.

My eyes strained in the dark in attempts to see the wolf pack. As they emerged from between the trees I automatically sought out Sam, hoping for some clue as to my fate. I was surprised to see him standing in the beta spot. My eyes flickered to the alpha spot and I automatically reached out a hand to steady myself against Edward. A huge, russet-colored wolf, just slightly larger than Sam, was walking forward with a familiar stride. I stopped breathing.

I heard Edward whisper an explanation to what I was seeing. "He had been slowly making his way home, but was hiding his thoughts and location from the others. When he heard what was to be discussed tonight he started running. He arrived only thirty minutes ago."

I barely registered the words. I still hadn't drawn a breath. I could feel that tiny piece of my heart that would always belong to Jacob cheering; he had come home. At the same time, logic told me this was bad. I knew Jacob would never stop fighting for me; there _was_ going to be a war, and I _was_ going to have to choose sides.

Edward had once again stepped forward to act as interpreter. His face was unreadable as he listened to the thoughts of the pack.

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Jake growled; it didn't sound as friendly as Sam's.

"Well, that's not my fault, is it?"

"What's he saying?" I hated not knowing the other half of the conversation Edward was having with Jacob. The rest of the Cullens didn't seem bothered by Edward's one sided conversations.

Edward turned to me with an amused expression on his face. "Jacob would like to speak with you."

"You told me that already. So why doesn't he just talk to me?"

"He has no clothes."

Anger welled up surprisingly fast. I turned to the wolf, who towered over me. "We're here to discuss a treaty that could start a _war_, and you're concerned about me seeing you naked?" He had me so angry I was actually yelling. "Use Quil as a modesty shield if you are so worried about it!"

Quil issued a warning growl. I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or Jacob. A few of the wolves gave barks that sounded a lot like laughter.

Jacob turned his huge head toward Edward. Edward shook his head and grinned. "If she doesn't care if she sees you naked, then I don't care either." He paused as Jacob thought something else; the smile disappeared from his face. "No, I'm not worried about that at all."

Jake ran back into the woods. He reappeared a moment later, holding a leafy tree branch so that it obscured his skin from his waist to his knees. I tried not to laugh as I walked forward to meet him half way.

"So you're pack leader now?" I asked. Jake wasn't meeting my gaze.

"Yeah, I had a lot of time to think things over while I was away. I knew it was time to accept my rightful place." He continued to stare down and toward my left. "So you went through with it?"

I realized Jake was staring at my wedding ring. "Yes. Is that all you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Bella, is this really what you want?"

"Yes, Jacob. This is _all_ I want."

He shook his head sadly. "While I was out there," he waved vaguely toward the wilderness, "I did a lot of thinking about you. I realized I'd been trying to make myself happy under the disguise of making you happy. I can't have it both ways; I can't be happy unless you are with me, and you can't be happy unless you are with _him_. So I'm doing the right thing, what will make you happy."

Was he really saying what I thought he was? Was he really going to allow Edward to change me without a fight?

"But all choices have consequences, Bella. Are you sure you can live with those? You'll never see your parents again, or your friends from school."

"Or you?"

He nodded. "I think you will find me far less cuddly once you're one of _them_."

"Who says I find you cuddly now?" I teased.

Jake didn't smile. "I'm being serious, Bella. Can you live with the consequences?"

"Yes, Jake, I can." He wouldn't guilt me into changing my mind. I knew that this might be the last time I ever saw him again. I fought the urge to hug him goodbye.

"Then that was all I needed to know." He took several steps backwards toward the trees. His body shuddered and quivered and suddenly a wolf was standing where a man had been; the tree branch lay forgotten on the ground.

I walked back to Edward slowly. I knew I should be happy that Jacob was going to let me become a vampire without declaring war on the Cullens, but instead I was miserable.

Edward was listening to Jacob's thoughts intently. He motioned for his family to convene together. "They are willing to negotiate," he informed, "but they have some stipulations. First, they don't want to worry about a newborn getting lose in Forks, so they want us to change Bella elsewhere."

"That's not a problem," I interrupted. We already knew I wouldn't be changed until we arrived in New Hampshire.

"There's more. The treaty is only being changed so that _I_ can bite Bella. If anyone else bites her then the entire treaty is null and void. Other than Bella, the original stipulations still apply, we can't bite any other humans. Finally, once we leave to change Bella they don't want us to return for at least three hundred years."

I spluttered at that. "What? Why so long? I won't be dangerous for more than a few years, right?"

"It has nothing to do with you," Edward replied. "They are hoping that in that amount of time the werewolf gene will disappear from their genome."

"Too bad with us gone, other more unfriendly vampires will frequent the area," replied Jasper.

"I know," sighed Edward, "but it's not our job to point out the faults in their logic."

"So is that all?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded.

The Cullens exchanged quick looks.

"I think we're getting the better end of the bargain," added Alice, giving me a gentle squeeze.

I looked at her in shock. "But three hundred years is such a long time. Forks is the perfect place for us."

"Bella, we'd have to leave eventually," Carlisle reminded me softly, "to avoid suspicion. It's just the way life is for us. Three hundred years really isn't that long to wait."

"But what about Charlie," I insisted. "I know I won't be able to visit with him again, but I always thought I could at least check up on him. Peek through his bedroom window, or something, to make sure he was doing ok."

"We could ask for permission for Bella to visit Charlie," Edward suggested. "The worst they can say is no."

Now I realized what Jake meant by consequences. He was trying to emotionally blackmail me.

Edward went to ask the wolves for the amendment. He returned less than a minute later, looking unhappy. "They are afraid we will use this as a loophole to get back into Forks, so they are not willing to allow any visits, with one exception. When Charlie passes away Bella can come back for the funeral."

I looked at Edward in shock.

"It's your decision if you accept the clause," Carlisle told me softly, "as it mainly affects you."

"It's better than no visits, right?" I tried to smile, but my face didn't seem to want to cooperate. I felt sick. I would never be able to see my father again; all contact would be limited to the telephone. And that would require dodging awkward questions about why I wouldn't come visit him.

"So do we all agree to the terms?" asked Carlisle. All the vampires nodded. I walked with Edward as he went to tell the wolves. I had one last thing to say to Jacob.

The gigantic wolf listened as Edward told him that we accepted the new terms of the treaty, then he turned to walk away.

"Jake, wait, please."

He paused, but didn't turn back around.

"Please, since I won't be able to check up on him, will you take care of Charlie for me? He's going to have a tough time understanding why I can't come home."

The wolf turned his head back toward me and nodded. I watched the pack dissolve back into the trees. Jacob was the last to leave; I watched him until there was nothing more to see than darkness.

Edward carried me home on his back. I knew I should be tired, but I couldn't fall asleep, even after I was curled up against Edward in his huge bed.

"What's wrong?" he asked softly.

"I've managed to get your entire family exiled from Forks," I replied moodily.

"Bella, trust me when I tell you none of us are upset about that. Every one of us is thrilled that they were so willing to negotiate and that we aren't going to have to watch our backs everywhere we go."

"Really?" I was unable to believe none of them felt any animosity toward me when I hated myself so much at the moment.

"Really," he replied. "We would have to leave Forks for seventy to one hundred years to begin with, so that no one would be left who remembered us. The only challenge this creates is that Carlisle will have to give a different excuse to the hospital about why he is suddenly leaving again since they will be joining us in New Hampshire sooner than planned."

I felt marginally better after his reassurances. It was enough that I could at least close my eyes and eventually drift off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let me know.


	9. Torture

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 9

Torture

The sound of hammering woke me from my slumber. It sounded like the house was under construction. I was alone; Edward wasn't in his room. I pulled on my jeans and the t-shirt I had worn last night and trundled downstairs in search of the sound. Esme and Edward were on the first floor, wielding hammers.

"I'm sorry if we woke you, sweetheart," Esme apologized.

"It's ok," I responded, still a little groggy. "I was just wondering what was going on."

"We need to remove some of the "special features" we've built into the house," Esme explained, "before we can put it on the market."

A wave of nausea passed through me as the events of last night resurfaced in my mind. The Cullens were being forced to leave for three centuries just because of me. I let myself sink to the floor and put my head between my knees.

Edward was at my side in a heartbeat. "What's wrong." There was nothing but concern in his voice.

I held up a finger to signal that I just needed a minute. The nausea faded and I lifted my head up. "I'm fine now."

"You're green," he responded as he helped me to my feet. He still sounded concerned.

"I'm fine," I repeated. "Just feeling a little guilty."

"Bella..." he growled.

"You can't keep me from feeling guilty," I responded.

"You need anxiety medication, or something. How many times do I have to tell you there's nothing to feel guilty about."

"I don't need pills, Edward. And I think any _normal_ person would be guilty about forcing a family out of their home."

"It was going to happen anyway," said Edward. "You're overreacting."

I just scowled at him. He walked with me into the Cullens' immaculate kitchen; it had been stocked with food just for me. I poured myself a bowl of Cheerios and then cut a banana over top of it before filling the bowl with milk. The pounding in the other room continued while I ate.

After breakfast, Edward drove me to Charlie's so that I could pack up what was left in my room. Charlie was already at work, so I let myself in with the key under the eave. Charlie had dragged my old suitcase out of the attic. It sat, covered in dust, in the middle of my room. Edward was carrying the new suitcase he had bought me to take on the honeymoon.

Edward had that suitcase packed with the contents of my dresser drawers before I had even half my closet packed. After the clothes we moved on to my other belongings: mostly books, pictures in frames, some CD's and DVD's and a few knick knacks. My old CD player was piled on top of the stuffed box that would be given to the Good Will store; Edward had promised to buy me a new player if we couldn't share his. My trusty truck was also being left behind, since Edward and I both agreed that it probably wouldn't survive a cross country drive.

It only took a little over an hour to completely pack up my room, with Edward's help. As Edward carted the suitcases and boxes out to his car, I went to check out the kitchen. I had a feeling that Charlie had been living on take out and frozen dinners since I had left. As expected, the refrigerator was almost empty, save for a couple cans of beer, two sticks of butter, ketchup, mustard, milk, three eggs, and something wrapped in foil that looked suspiciously like pizza.

"How is he ever going to survive without me?" I lamented to the refrigerator

Edward had sneaked in behind me and I jumped as he replied. "He survived for seventeen years before you came to live with him."

"And I've no idea how. I guess I know what I'll be doing for the next two days."

I took the wad of bills out of the food jar and bought Charlie groceries. That night I cooked him dinner; it was probably the first home cooked, not microwaved meal he'd had since before the wedding. I spent the next day cooking, stewing, baking, boiling, chopping, slow cooking, and frying. I packaged everything in plastic containers, labeled them, and stacked them neatly in the freezer. By the time I was done, Charlie had enough to last for at least a month without me.

"Bella, you did too much," he said when he got home that night.

"I want to make sure you're taken care of," I told him.

"I'll be fine, Bella. I want you to concentrate on school; college courses are a lot harder than high school."

"I know, Dad." I was fighting back tears. Edward's family had already left; we were waiting to say goodbye to Charlie before leaving. This was the last time I'd see my father alive.

"Do you have everything you need?" He was playing the concerned parent now.

"Yes, Dad. Probably more than I need."

"Good. Well, take care of yourself, Bella."

"I'll be fine, Dad." I blinked back a few tears. I needed to get this over with so I could escape to the darkness of Edward's car.

We hugged awkwardly. He stood out in the driveway, next to his cruiser and my old truck, and watched us drive away. I stared back long after Forks had disappeared from the rear view mirror, tears running silently down my cheeks. Edward just held my hand and let me cry. It was several embarrassing hours before the tears stopped.

Crying, mixed with the fact that it was almost one o'clock in the morning, meant I was exhausted. I put the seat back as far as it would go and pulled a pillow and blanket out of the back seat to bed down for the night. I tried not to think about what I was rapidly leaving behind me.

The sun had risen high into the sky when I finally woke. I looked out the tinted window and saw a landscape that was very different than the one I'd fallen asleep in. I could see for miles in every direction; but the only thing to see was miles and miles of wheat fields. Every once in a while a farmhouse or hay silo would break up the horizon.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Nebraska," Edward responded instantly.

I looked at him in shock. "How fast did you drive?!"

Edward grinned. "I made good time. It was the middle of the night, Bella. There wasn't anyone else on the road."

"Except eighteen wheelers," I countered. "Which could turn your car into tin foil."

Edward just chuckled. "Do you need to stop?"

I nodded. I needed several human moments.

We pulled into the first rest area that we encountered. I used the facilities and washed my face in the sink before buying breakfast out of a vending machine. I got back in the car with a can of apple juice and a prepackaged sticky bun.

"Is that all you're eating?" he asked.

"Yes. I'm not very hungry." It was the truth. In fact, I felt a little sick, and it wasn't from the car ride. We were getting to New Hampshire faster than I had anticipated; I had realized that I only had a day or two left to be human. It was making me nervous.

Edward merged back onto the highway and soon states were zipping by like counties. Carlisle called us somewhere in the middle of Ohio to tell us that they had arrived in New Hampshire already.

We were in the Pennsylvania mountains when the sun sank below the horizon. The nausea I had felt during the day was intensifying. I hadn't even eaten dinner, much to Edward's annoyance, but greasy fast food just didn't appeal to my stomach and I was afraid of stopping for an extended period to eat at a real restaurant; what if I chickened out and asked Edward to take me back to Forks?

I didn't feel tired at all as I watched the last rays of sun sink below the horizon. The lack of exercise and the time zone shifts meant that I didn't fall asleep until almost four in the morning; I knew it would be the last time I ever slept.

It was Edward's gentle voice that woke me. The sun was a few degrees above the horizon, but already shining brightly in the blue sky. I knew we must be off the interstate simply because the scenery wasn't zooming by at over 100 miles per hour. There was a small town going past my window.

"We're in Hanover," Edward explained. "I thought you might like to see the town and the college."

Hanover was larger than Forks, and while it still had a small town feel, there were unmistakable signs that it was a college town too. I noticed a lot of coffee houses as we cruised down main street, and green and white banners with the Dartmouth logo hung from the street lights. Edward made a left turn and I saw several large stone buildings ahead.

"That's Dartmouth."

The college looked exactly as I imagined an ivy league school should look; like it had popped out of the nineteenth century. Even the clearly modern buildings had stone facades and architecture that tied the campus together. It looked more foreboding than welcoming, especially since I knew I hadn't earned my admission there. Yet, I couldn't look away. Even after Edward drove past I looked back out the rear window. I wasn't sure when I'd see it again; it might be years.

Edward drove us out of town. We were heading north. I watched the houses become spaced farther and farther apart until the only thing to see was farmland. After twenty minutes, the farmland turned into second growth forest, which thickened as we traveled through it. I could see large mountains far in the distance, which dwarfed the rounded, rolling hills we were currently driving through.

Edward turned left suddenly, into a driveway I could have passed and still never noticed. I supposed it was a requirement for vampires to have a house that was hard to find, to prevent unwanted guests. The driveway was unpaved, but packed tightly with stone so that it wasn't very bumpy. We followed it for almost a mile before it turned sharply to the right and I saw a Victorian mansion rearing out of a clearing. My mouth dropped open in awe.

"Do you like it?"

"I love it," I replied, drinking in our new home. The siding was painted light brown, with a rusty red trim around the eaves, windows, and doors. The roof was shingled light gray. It was at least three stories tall, with a huge wrap around porch on the side facing us and two rounded towers on either side. There were outcroppings with huge bay windows and I could see several small balconies off the second and third floors. I counted at least five chimneys, and there was a massive weather vain on the highest peak.

"Wait until you see the inside," Edward replied.

I looked at him in surprise. "You've been here already?"

"Esme bought it a few years ago. We always knew we'd have to leave Forks eventually, and this seemed like a perfect place. She loves to fix up old houses, so she's been working on it on and off for the last three years."

The rest of the Cullens were waiting for us. With seven helpful vampires the Volvo was unpacked before I'd even entered the house.

Edward was right about seeing the inside of the house; it was more grand than the outside. The first thing I saw was a huge, oak staircase winding its way up to the second floor. It was tempting to call the room I was in a foyer, but it just seemed too large. However, when I saw the size of the room to the right, I knew that this couldn't be anything except an entrance hall. The Cullen's new living room was spacious, to say the least. An enormous, L-shaped sofa had been set up on the beautiful hard wood floor. The biggest television I'd ever seen in my life was set up across from the sofa, complete with an elaborate looking surround sound system. Edward's piano was in the far corner. The room also had a fireplace big enough for me to sit in comfortably, which was framed with stone and had an oak mantle that matched the wood in the staircase.

The rest of the first floor contained a kitchen, which although it had all the appliances someone would expect of a home, was useless for a coven of vampires. It also housed Carlisle's new office, which was almost as large as the living room. It too had a massive fireplace. The walls were already lined with bookcases and his paintings and photographs. His desk from Forks was already in place. Off the back of the house was a sprawling deck that looked over an open lawn.

Edward led me upstairs as he explained that the rest of the house had been turned into mini suites for each set of vampire couples. Esme, Carlisle, Rosalie, and Emmett had their rooms on the second floor, which left Edward, Alice, Jasper, and me to share the third floor. I climbed up the staircase at the end of the second floor corridor, eager to see our rooms. Ours was the last door on the left.

The door opened into a large sitting room with a huge bay window that faced west. It had a cushioned seat built around it. Edward's leather sofa was already there, along with his elaborate stereo and shelves full of CD's. A new, flat screen plasma tv was hanging on the wall. Against the opposite wall were two computer desks. One had a black Mac desktop computer on it. The other held my new laptop and an expensive looking scanner-printer combination. The entire floor was covered by a squashy beige carpet.

"This is amazing," I told Edward as I bounced around the room, examining everything.

"This isn't all," he replied, pushing open a door to our left.

I could see the ridiculously huge bed Edward had bought earlier in the year before I even entered. This was more than just a bedroom, though, it was a private space meant for just us two, and although I knew I'd never sleep again, the bed would still be put to good use. There was a set of French doors to my right, which led out onto one of the small balconies I'd seen from outside. As I walked farther into the room and turned around I noticed the book shelves that lined three of the walls. They were made of dark oak, just like the bed, and reached from floor to ceiling. There was even a sliding ladder to reach the top racks. Most were already full of books.

I moved closer to get a better look at my miniature library. I pulled an old, leather bound book off the shelf in front of me and flipped it open. I almost dropped the book in shock. It was a first edition copy of Jane Austin's _Pride and Prejudice_. I put the book back and pulled out another. Almost every book I picked was a first edition of a classic tale.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked as he came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist.

"Edward, this is amazing. Where did you get all these?"

He replied with a shrug. "Just some things I've collected over the years."

The final room in the suite was a large bathroom. It was entirely too big for the needs of two vampires who only needed to shower occasionally. I eyed a huge, swimming pool sized jacuzzi tub; it seemed such a waste of money. Then again, I thought with a smile, there wasn't any reason a vampire or two couldn't enjoy a bubble bath now and again.

There was a knock on our door. I heard Edward sigh as he opened it, revealing Alice and Rosalie. His brow furrowed. "Is this really necessary?"

"Of course it is," Rosalie replied. "Bella, could we borrow you for a few minutes please?"

I gave Edward a confused look. He gave me an apologetic smile back before telling me, "it's probably best to let them have their way."

"Have their way with what?" I demanded as Alice grabbed my hand and started towing me out into the hallway. "Edward!"

I wasn't rescued. Alice and Rosalie dragged me back to the second floor and into Rosalie and Emmett's suite. It was very similar to mine and Edward's, except that their bay window faced east. Emmett was sitting on an over sized beige sofa, playing Halo. The game was projected onto a huge retractable screen that practically took up an entire wall.

Emmett gave me one look before turning off the game. "Be brave, Bella," he said with more than a hint of amusement in his voice as he walked out of the suite.

"What the hell is going on?" I demanded loudly.

"Edward is going to bite you tonight," Rosalie replied, making it sound like that explained everything.

"Yes, I know that already," I replied responded dryly. "I meant, why am I here, with you two, now?"

"Bella, have you looked at yourself lately?" Rosalie's voice sounded truly concerned.

I glanced down at my body. My clothes were probably wrinkled from the car ride, and I was sure my hair was a mess. So what?

Rosalie seemed to be getting exasperated with my slowness. "Bella, once Edward bites you, you're never going to age again. That includes _everything_; your hair will stop growing and your nails will become as hard as diamonds."

"And?"

"And," Rosalie continued, "do you want to spend eternity with hangnails, bad cuticles, and split ends?"

My mouth hung open in shock. I looked at her incredulously; she couldn't be serious. Alice and Rosalie both stared back at me, their arms crossed and faces perfectly grim.

"My god, you _are_ serious."

"Of course we are serious," Rosalie snapped. "You don't realize the opportunity you have, choosing to be bitten. You can choose to be in _perfect_ condition first."

"I don't care if my nails aren't perfect or if I have a few split ends," I argued. "And Edward doesn't either."

"Trust us, you'll thank us in a few decades," replied Alice.

I didn't like the way this conversation was going.

Rosalie sprinted across the room and returned half a second later with a chair. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Bella."

I had no chance of escape. It was probably just best to resign myself to my fate; my last few hours as a human would be spent being tortured by spa treatments. With a huff, I sat in Rosalie's chair.

They attacked my hair first, snipping off half an inch of split ends. Next, Alice gave me a pedicure while Rosalie worked on my fingernails, buffing and filing them till they shined. She seemed horrified that I was going to leave them in their current condition for eternity.

"Is this really necessary?" I grumbled.

"Look," said Rosalie, shoving a finger toward my face. I blinked the digit into focus. The tip of Rosalie's right index finger was jagged and chipped.

It was hard not to laugh. Of course Rosalie would view a broken nail as a tragedy.

"I'm sorry," I said instead, trying to sound sincere.

"Maybe I'm shallow for hating it," Rosalie explained as she moved her hand away, "but at least I'll know your nails are perfect."

"Whatever makes you happy," I grumbled.

"You're a good sport, Bella," Alice said happily.

"Try it again in three days and see how much of a sport I am," I growled.

They ignored my threat.

"When was the last time you shaved?" Rosalie asked, trying to pull up my pant leg to see for herself.

"A week ago," I replied, kicking her hand away. I only succeeded in hurting my foot.

She shook her head at me. "Here." She was holding out a razor and a can of shaving gel.

I looked at her like she was crazy. "Are you _trying_ to get me killed? You want to give _me_ a razor in a house full of vampires?"

"Fine, we'll just wax your legs instead."

Well, in that case. "Fine!" I grabbed the razor and cream and marched into the adjoining bathroom, slamming the door shut behind me. I stripped off my clothes and threw them onto the floor before climbing into the jacuzzi tub. I turned on the warm water and splashed it over my legs before lathering up and very, very carefully pulling the razor up my leg. It took me twice as long as normal since I was terrified to accidentally cut myself. For good measure, I also did my bikini line and underarms, so Rosalie and Alice couldn't find some other reason to try and wax me. I dried off and got dressed again.

"Am I done yet?" I asked as I reentered the room.

"Almost," replied Rosalie. She was holding something, but I couldn't quite see what it was. She gestured for me to take my place in the dreaded chair again.

I sat down, wondering what else they could possibly want to do to me. It was only then that I saw the tweezers in Rosalie's hand. I had been around Jessica and Lauren long enough to know that nothing good came from a pair of tweezers.

"Hold still, Bella," Rosalie ordered as I squirmed in the seat.

"Can't we just compromise," I begged. "No split ends and perfect nails in exchange for bushy eyebrows."

Apparently the answer was no. Alice wrapped her stony arms around me from behind, effectively pinning me to the chair. I squished my eyes shut and tried to screw up my face so that Rosalie couldn't get to my eyebrows. She hovered over me anyway.

"There. You're done," she said suddenly.

My eyes snapped open. "Really?" I hadn't felt a thing.

Rosalie nodded and Alice released her grip on me. I launched myself out of the chair and sprinted for the door. I didn't even have to call for Edward; he appeared in the hallway almost immediately.

"You survived, I see." He was teasing me.

"Yes, I did, but in three days it won't be humans you'll need to protect from me."

He gave Alice and Rosalie an appraising look. "I can't say you two don't deserve it."

Alice gave Edward a serious look as he said this and I heard him growl softly in response to whatever she was thinking.

"What was that about?" I asked as we went back to our room.

"Nothing," he replied too quickly.

I raised my newly plucked eyebrows at him.

"Really, it was nothing you need to worry about."

My heart sank. "She saw something, didn't she? Something bad?"

"No," Edward responded in total sincerity. "Nothing like that."

"Well, she was obviously thinking _something_ that displeased you."

"Bella, didn't you promise not to complain for the rest of the summer when we were in Spain?"

'This isn't complaining, it's inquiring."

"And I told you it's nothing."

"Fine," I pouted. It didn't sway him into telling me what had upset him.

* * *

A/N: Please review and let me know how you liked this chapter. Remember that I accept unsigned reviews too, so you don't even have to sign in.


	10. Transformation

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 10

Transformation

Sitting in our new room was not helping the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Edward had helped me unpack, so that had taken all of twenty minutes. After being attacked by Alice and Rosalie I was terrified to touch anything, in case I broke a newly perfect nail and was accosted again. After flipping through the television channels and finding nothing good, I finally lost my patience.

"Can we just please get this over with?"

Edward gave me a confused look.

"Bite me already. I don't know why we have to wait until tonight."

"I thought you'd want to get moved in and comfortable first," Edward replied, looking uncomfortable.

"You're just stalling," I accused.

I thought he'd deny it adamantly. "Maybe I am," he replied instead. He looked at me and I had to look away. There was immense sorrow and pain in his eyes. "Bella, are you still sure?"

"I'm positive, Edward. I want to spend forever with you."

He looked defeated. "Ok. Let's go, then."

He got off the sofa. I stayed seated, looking at him in surprise. "We're not doing it here?"

"No," Edward replied.

"Then where?"

"In the basement."

My mouth dropped open in shock. "That's just a little bit creepy, Dr. Frankenstein."

Edward shook his head and rolled his eyes at me. "It's not like that, Bella."

I followed Edward downstairs, trying very hard not to hyperventilate. I tried to convince myself that waiting until later would only make things worse.

Edward knocked on Carlisle's office door.

"Come in."

Edward opened the door just enough to stick his head in. "Bella has decided she is ready." I ignored the tone he said it in.

I heard a chair scrape the floor as I pictured Carlisle standing up. Edward backed out of the doorway. Carlisle appeared and gave me a gentle smile that instantly made me feel a little better.

The door to the basement stair was through the kitchen. I was expecting the dim, dank, damp basement with unfinished walls and exposed beams that I was used to at Charlie's. The Cullen's basement was completely finished and brightly lit. The drywall had been painted a light sky blue color and the floor was covered in squashy carpet. The entire area was as large as the first floor. There were two pool tables in the middle of the floor, and perpendicular to them was a large foosball table. In the far corner was a poker table, though I couldn't imagine who would want to play poker with Edward or Alice. Several overstuffed sofas dotted the room for the comfort of spectators.

On the other side of the room from the game tables were several computers, a very expensive looking laser jet printer, and several other pieces of machinery that I couldn't identify; though I was fairly certain they weren't used for legal purposes. However, it was another piece of furniture that caught and held my attention.

"You can't be serious?" There was a full sized hospital bed set up. I'd rather lie on cold concrete for three days. Worse, there appeared to be an IV pole next to it.

"I told you we would try morphine," Edward said quietly.

"No. No morphine."

Edward looked at me like I was insane. "Bella, do you remember when James bit you?"

"Very clearly," I snapped. It was hard to forget that type of pain.

"So you've decided to become a masochist?" The sarcasm in his voice hurt me.

I shook my head and tried to think of the words to describe my reasoning. Any sane person would take the morphine drip.

"You didn't have morphine," I started, but was cut off.

"And injured soldiers during the Civil War didn't have anesthesia, that doesn't mean surgery patients today should be fully conscious for their procedures."

I growled at Edward. "Will you let me finish, please. Just hear me out. None of you had the option of being bitten. You all had to endure the pain for something that wasn't your fault or your choice. Now here I am, _choosing_ this. I deserve to feel the pain because I'm requesting to be changed."

"Bella, the pain isn't some sadistic initiation ritual. No one will think less of you if you don't feel it." Edward clearly thought I was deluded.

I changed tactics and turned to Carlisle. "As a doctor you can't give a patient medication if they forbid it, right?"

"That's correct," Carlisle responded. He seemed to be slightly amused by Edward's and my argument.

"Good, then I don't give my permission."

Edward growled from behind me. "And you don't think I could administer morphine myself?"

"That's a felony!"

"And who's going to turn me in?"

Carlisle put a restraining hand on his son's shoulder. "I think you should respect her decision," he said calmly.

Edward looked murderous. I was beginning to wonder if it was wise to argue with him before he bit me.

"Edward, is the morphine more for Bella or for your own peace of mind?" Carlisle asked.

Edward seemed to deflate as Carlisle asked the question; the anger faded from his face to be replaced by something more like anguish. Instantly I understood why he insisted so strongly on the morphine; to have to watch me cry in pain for three days was probably pure hell for him. I felt guilty.

"Edward, we can try the morphine," I conceded.

"No, Bella. Carlisle is right, it's your decision."

"If it'll make you feel better then I want morphine."

Edward sighed. "I wish you'd stop trying to make everyone else happy. No morphine."

There wasn't any use in trying to argue; he knew how I honestly felt and wasn't going to let me change my mind just for his sake. I was shaking with trepidation as I climbed into the hospital bed. The sound of my heart was almost deafening in my ears. Edward looked about as nervous as I felt. I just wanted to get it over with and go on with our lives together.

Edward leaned over the bed and kissed my lips gently. His eyes were questioning.

"Forever." I whispered as I put a hand against the side of his face.

"Forever," he repeated before kissing my lips again. I closed my eyes instinctively; my muscles tightened as his lips traced down my jaw line and onto my neck. There was sudden pressure and then searing pain. I couldn't suppress the gasp of surprise that escaped my lips.

Edward moved swiftly around my body, following the mental instructions being issued by Carlisle. Pain exploded into existence in both of my wrists and ankles. Edward was back beside my head before I could take another shaky breathe.

I forced my eyes open to look at him. He looked like he was in more pain than me.

"If you are going to look like you are being tortured the whole time then you can just leave." I forced the words out one at a time. I barely noticed Carlisle wrapping my wounds in gauze, probably to prevent me from bleeding to death before I could become a vampire.

"I'm _not_ leaving your side." His tone made it clear that heaven help anybody who tried to make him leave.

"Now who's the masochist?" I breathed.

The pain was intensifying. It felt like someone was holding a welding torch to my ankles, wrists, and neck. Just breathing evenly was becoming very difficult, never mind talking.

"What do you want me to do then, Bella?"

I needed to be distracted from the pain. Why had I refused the morphine? "Hold me," I mumbled. He didn't need to be asked twice. I felt him climb onto the bed and scoop me into his arms.

"Now talk to me," I mumbled again. My speech was rapidly slurring as my brain honed in on little more than the pain. "I just want to hear your voice."

Edward again did as I asked. He started telling me everything we would be able to do together once I was immortal. Listening to his gentle voice helped distract me from the pain. This was the reason I was enduring this to begin with, so that I could do all these things with Edward. It helped a little bit, but as the venom spread and the pain got worse, it became harder to actually understand what Edward was saying. I could hear his voice, but my brain was too focused on the agony to comprehend the words.

Someone was screaming; I completely empathized if they were in as much pain as me. My mind was heavy and dark. I must have slipped into unconsciousness. The screaming continued for another minute before I realized I was the one who was screaming. With considerable effort, I clamped my mouth shut and stifled the sound. My entire body was on fire now.

I slipped into unconsciousness several more times. The price I paid for the minutes of pain free oblivion was the screaming that always accompanied waking up. It would take me minutes to get it back under control. Edward held me the entire time, still speaking, though I couldn't understand the words. Part of me wanted to know how long I had been laying here, so I knew how much more I had to endure, but another part of me was terrified that I'd find out it had only been a few minutes. So I said nothing; I probably couldn't have composed a coherent sentence anyway.

I emerged from darkness once more, but this time I wasn't screaming. The pain was ebbing. Instead of feeling like I was being cremated I simply felt like I was being slow roasted. The flames that had licked my skin had faded to just a dull, burning heat.

I could feel my finger tips again. My eyes popped open in surprise at this revelation. I was huddled against Edward's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me. He was still talking, although I had no idea how long I'd been laying here. I was able to understand words again, if I concentrated hard enough. Edward was now just reciting literature. After a few sentences I recognized it was from the Old Testament: how morose.

I tried to figure out how to tell him to recite something else, something more cheerful, like Jane Austin or Shakespeare, but the pain was still too intense to allow me to speak. All I could do was groan, and Edward took that as a reflection of the pain, not a commentary on what he was saying.

The pain subsided imperceptibly slowly. The periods of unconsciousness felt like nothing compared to the long stretches of agonizing awareness. Eventually I realized I could feel my toes and feet, and my head was becoming more clear. The burning was centered in my chest now, making every breath painfully difficult. My heart was beating ten times faster than it should be; I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. It was drowning out the sound of Edward's voice. Although I fought against it, I could feel myself slipping into unconsciousness again.

It was silent when I woke. Edward had stopped speaking, making the room eerily quiet. I waited for the pain to slice through the grogginess like a knife, but it never came. The silence was different than anything I'd ever experienced; with a gasp I realized the silence came from my own body. I could no longer hear my heart beating: it had stopped.

"Edward?" My voice was raspy from all the screaming, but it burned because of something else completely; I was _thirsty_.

"I'm right here." His velvety voice was close.

I opened my eyes; I knew they were blood red now. I was looking up into Edward's face. He was still holding me. I reached a hand up to touch the side of his face; his skin was impossibly soft, but no longer cold to my senses. "Is it over?"

"I think so." But he called softly for Carlisle anyway.

"How do you feel?" Carlisle asked after he felt for my non existent pulse and removed the gauze he had wrapped around my bite wounds. The skin was perfectly healed. He immediately set the blood soaked gauze on fire.

"Like there is someone else inhabiting my body," I responded truthfully. I was still Bella and I clung to her. But alongside my old self was a blood thirsty vampire, who was whispering in my mind. She was telling me that the thirst could be satisfied with blood; she wanted me to go out and hunt. It was impossible to not hear her and it was taking all my will power to ignore her.

Both Edward and Carlisle gave me strange looks. Apparently that wasn't an answer they were expecting.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle prompted.

I explained the vampire-Bella split in my mind. It only prompted even stranger looks.

"Is that normal?" Edward asked Carlisle.

"It's different for everyone," Carlisle responded. "It appears Bella is able to separate the two easier than most."

"What isn't normal?" I demanded. Had something gone horribly wrong?

"Nothing," Edward reassured. "We're just surprised that you can differentiate between the newborn and what's left of your human half. Most of us wake up and the vampire is in charge."

"She's certainly trying," I responded. I couldn't believe they were telling me I had it easier than most. It was not easy to ignore the murderous side of myself. At least I was far away from any humans, because I knew if I smelled any there was no way I would be able to ignore the vampire.

Already I was noticing my heightened senses. I could smell Edward very clearly; it was the same sweet scent I had grown used to as a human, but intensified about a hundred times. I could also smell Carlisle, though he had a slightly different smell than Edward. Immediately the two scents were committed to my memory. I could also pick up the scent of a female that clung to Edward's clothes. I guessed that Esme or Alice had visited while I was oblivious to the world.

My hearing had improved as well. I could hear voices from upstairs as if they were standing at the foot of the stairs. From the sound of it, Esme was worried about me and Alice was trying to reassure her. Other sounds that I had never payed much attention to as a human were also significantly amplified. The clock on the wall was ticking loudly and there was a hum coming from one of the lights that hung above the pool tables.

I looked at my hands. They didn't look a lot different, just a little paler than what I was as a human. I wondered what the rest of my body looked like. I didn't feel stronger, either, though I knew I was. I fought the urge to get up and run around the room, just to see how fast I could go.

Edward was watching me closely as I examined myself. The vampire who I now shared my body with was still telling me to go find blood. With some effort I pushed the notion to the back of my head, as I reminded myself that human blood made me faint.

"Will it ever go away?" I asked, as I touched my throat. My voice was getting stronger.

"You mean the thirst?" Edward inquired.

I nodded.

"It will fade with time and experience. Hunting will help, but you won't notice a real difference for about a year. The urges will become easier to ignore as well, but you will never be completely rid of them."

I nodded as I wondered how long my self control could hold out. I thought about the bet Emmett and Jasper had going and wished I knew who would win.

Edward's heard suddenly swiveled towards the stairs in response to a sound only his mind could hear. "You can come down, Esme."

My old eyes would have seen little other than a blur as Esme sprinted down the stairs, but my new eyes were able to see her every step. She looked worried as she came to a sudden halt at the side of my bed and pulled me into a motherly hug.

"I'm so relieved things went well, sweetheart," she cooed.

It was her scent that I had picked off Edward earlier. "I'm sorry you had to worry," I replied.

"It's her nature," Edward teased.

Esme gave him a stern look. "Yes, it is. So remember that next time you do something risky."

Edward ignored the rebuke. "The others are eager to see you Bella. Do you mind company?"

"Not at all."

"You all can come downstairs now," he called. Four vampires rushed down the stairs. I hadn't heard them upstairs, so I guessed they had been inundating Edward's head with questions and thoughts.

Alice was the first to reach me and I got pulled into another hug. Rosalie was right behind her. She was holding something, which after a few seconds I realized was a small hand mirror.

"I'm so glad you didn't kill her," Alice said to Edward. He growled lightly and I wondered if that had been what she was thinking to upset him before he bit me.

"You look wonderful, Bella," she gushed. I sensed more pride in her own ability to make me over than happiness for me. She thrust the hand mirror at me and I got my first look at my new body.

The first thing I noticed were my red eyes; I didn't like them. Already I was anxious for a year to be over so that my eyes would be the same golden color as Edward's. Once I was able to pull my attention away from my eyes, I could examine my entire face. I was obviously still Bella, but my face had been enhanced, somehow. I couldn't quite identify exactly what it was that made me look more attractive, but it was there; of course, I still didn't compare to Rosalie, but I hadn't expected to.

I didn't enjoy being the center of attention, so as soon as Edward's family had seen that I was fine, I requested that he and I escape to our rooms. I looked out our western windows and saw that it was dark outside.

"What day is it?" I asked.

"It's just before sunrise on Sunday," he responded.

I did the mental math. Edward had bitten me in the early afternoon on Thursday. It had only taken a little over two and a half days for me to change. I supposed that made me lucky.

My first order of business was to change clothes. I felt dirty wearing the same clothes for almost three days. I pulled open my drawer and instantly discovered that all my clothes smelled like Charlie. The vampire took charge of my mind. I wanted to track him down: follow the scent back to its source and sink my teeth into flesh. I imagined the warm blood running down my throat, quenching the fire that burning in my throat. A growl ripped from my lips. I was surprised at how predatory I sounded and that surprise allowed me to fight off the vampire. With considerable difficulty I pushed the vampire into the back of my mind, where all she could do was whisper ideas.

"These all need to be washed," I told Edward with what little air was left in my lungs. I chose not to inhale again, just in case.

He gave me a strange look. "Why?"

Couldn't he smell it too? I took a small breath through my mouth. "I can smell Charlie on them."

Edward's face changed from confused to surprised. He plucked one of my shirts out of the drawer and pressed it to his face.

"Are you sure your not just smelling you own human scent?" he finally asked. "I can barely detect Charlie on them."

"I know what I used to smell like," I snarled. The defensiveness gave the vampire some control again as air tainted with Charlie's aroma wafted through my nose. Quickly I pushed her back. "My scent is much stronger on them, but that isn't the smell that bothers me. I can smell Charlie from here."

Edward looked like he believed me, but his face still looked troubled. "This could complicate things, then."

"It does? But Charlie is safe, right, being so far away?"

"I'm not going to let you run off and kill you father, or anyone else for that matter," Edward replied. "But it will make that job more difficult since you seem to be able to pick up faint scents so strongly." He shook his head slightly. "I should have expected it, now that I think about it. You were hyper sensitive to the smell of blood as a human, which means you are likely much more highly attuned to it than the average vampire."

"Great." I didn't bother trying to hide the sarcasm. "That means I'm all the more likely to slip up, doesn't it? Because I will be able to smell a human before the rest of you."

Edward nodded. "We'll just have to watch you that much closer, and be extra cautious."

This was going to be a problem. Everything of mine from Forks smelled like Charlie, which meant I had to keep reliving murderous fantasies about him. And it wasn't just Charlie I thought about killing. Esme had taken my memory card full of honeymoon pictures to be printed; the photos all smelled like the teenage store clerk who had developed them. My suitcase smelled like the luggage handlers at the airport. Every time I encountered a new human scent, the vampire took control of my body. It took minutes of not breathing before I could push her away and become Bella again. I knew I would never be able to control myself if I was actually near a human.

After an entire day of unsuccessful attempts to distract myself from my own thoughts, I took to pacing the room. The fantasies about killing people were driving me insane. My foot brushed the box of photographs Renee had given me and the lid fell off. My mother's scent rose like smoke and enveloped me. Instantly, her face was in my mind; she was terrified. I was closing in on her. It wouldn't take more than a second for me to pin her to the floor. My teeth would penetrate the vein on the side of her neck, and her screams would subside as her blood flowed into me.

I snarled as I pushed the vampire back in my mind. I was quickly losing patience with myself. I was so angry that I kicked the coffee table without thinking. It went air born and crashed into the opposite wall, shattering into pieces.

"Damn it!" I snarled as I stalked across the room to pick up the splinters. The impact had put a hole in the drywall too. That led to another string of curses. I wished I could cry, at least that would be a way to alleviate the anger I was feeling.

Edward wasn't angry; in fact, he looked amused. "Can I ask what the coffee table did to you?"

"Sorry." I grumbled. "I'll fix it." It was going to take a lot of glue.

"Don't worry about it. I'll buy a new one, and we can patch the wall easily." His easy brush off wasn't helping my mood. I _wanted_ him to yell at me for my murderous thoughts and short temper. "But really, why did you attack the table?"

"I'm frustrated," I growled, resuming my pacing. "I keep thinking about killing my own parents." I knew he heard the terror in my voice.

His brow furrowed. I knew it bothered him to see me in any sort of pain, physical or mental. I wasn't the only one being driven nuts. "I think maybe we should go hunting?"

"I thought you said it wouldn't help the thirst at first?"

"Not the physical feelings, but it might help you control the vampire in your head a little better. It can't make things worse, at least."

There was a knock on the door. "Come in, Emmett," Edward called.

Emmett merely stuck his head around the edge of the door. "Just checking that Bella isn't getting the better of you." I saw his eyes move to the destroyed table and gaping hole in the wall. "Did she throw a table at you?" He sounded amused at the prospect.

I looked at the carpeting, ashamed. If I were still human I'd be blushing bright red. "I got angry and kicked the table," I responded glumly. "I wasn't aiming for Edward, though."

"If that's what happens when you get angry, then you're banned from playing my Xbox," Emmett said with a laugh.

He wasn't making me feel any better.

"Don't listen to him," Rosalie said, appearing suddenly behind Emmett. "He destroyed a car when he was a newborn."

Emmett stopped laughing abruptly. He growled at Rosalie, "that was a long time ago!"

"How did you destroy a car?" I asked in wonder.

He just glared at me for asking.

"I'll tell you later," Rosalie said with a high laugh.

"I'm going to take Bella hunting," Edward interjected before a lover's quarrel could erupt. "We need somewhere remote, do you know anywhere near here?"

He was silent as Emmett thought the answer.

"Yes, that will do," Edward replied. "Could I borrow your Jeep, then?"

Emmett seemed to give me a wary look.

"People in glass houses..." Edward reminded.

"Fine, but please try not to hurt my Jeep, Bella."

I snarled back at him.

We were almost at the front door when Alice appeared out of nowhere. "Need another set of eyes?" she asked. As if she didn't already know what Edward's response would be.

"If you don't mind," he replied. His head turned suddenly, as if someone had called his name. The only person I could see was Jasper, who was sitting in the living room reading. He looked up and met Edward's eyes. Edward issued a warning growl and Jasper raised his hands in defense. Edward turned, grabbed my arm, and stalked out of the door with me in tow.

* * *

A/N: I hope you all like it. Please review and let me know. And if anyone is wondering, I plucked the morphine thing out of the end of Eclipse, when Bella and Edward are laying in their meadow. He says something about morphine, and Bella pretty much ignores it, so I thought it would be interesting if it comes back into play.


	11. The Hunt

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 11

The Hunt

It was a little after two in the morning, so the only light outside was an almost full moon. The night air was moist and in the distance I could hear thunder.

"What was Jasper thinking that made you upset?" I asked softly.

Edward just growled again and for a minute I was afraid he wouldn't tell me. "He wanted to make sure that I knew to tell him if you stumbled upon a hiker or camper, otherwise the bet he has going with Emmett wouldn't be fair."

"He's really afraid you won't tell him and he'll lose the bet when he should have won?"

We were standing outside Emmett's enormous Jeep. I climbed into the passenger seat and strapped myself in with the five point harness.

Alice laughed at me from the back seat. "You know that is no longer necessary?"

"Habit," I replied, reaching to undo the seat belt but then stopped. I decided to leave it on. "Maybe it will slow me down a little if I get a good whiff of a passing car or something."

"Don't be too angry at Jasper," Alice said gently to her brother. "He often feels inferior to the rest of us, when it comes to self control."

Edward backed the Jeep out at top speed, before slamming it into drive and peeling out of the yard. It wasn't until we were speeding north on the highway that he finally spoke.

"They're both so infantile!"

"We all know you're the more mature out of the three," Alice soothed.

"How much money is being bet on my behavior anyway?" I asked.

Edward gave a hollow laugh. "None, Bella. That's what makes it all the more juvenile. Jasper's and Emmett's bets involve humiliation, not money."

"Ok, so say Emmett wins, then Jasper would have to..."

"Walk through Dartmouth's campus on a cloudy day while wearing women's clothing," Alice replied. She sounded thrilled by the idea. "I'll be borrowing your camera, on that day, by the way."

"So you can see that he definitely loses?" I asked hopefully.

"Sorry Bella, I can't. That all depends on the decisions you'll make. But I'll be borrowing your camera either way, Emmett or Jasper."

I tried to imagine who would look funnier in a dress, Emmett or Jasper? I wanted Jasper to lose the bet, simply for my own peace of mind. But I had to admit that Emmett would be much more amusing in a dress...

Edward got off the highway and drove us north on back roads through woods for almost an hour before turning onto an unpaved road. After bouncing around for a few minutes I realized it wasn't a road at all but an old, dry creek bed. It took us deep into the forest.

"So humans don't come here often?" I asked. My voice was hopeful. I really didn't want to run into any campers or hikers.

"Not unless they have a death wish," Edward responded. "This is black bear and mountain lion territory. There are a lot of rattlesnakes too, and the terrain is pretty rough."

I'd stopped listening after black bears and mountain lions were mentioned. "You want me to hunt a black bear my first time out?" I didn't bother trying to sound brave; the idea terrified me.

Alice laughed again. "Bella, we're the three most dangerous creatures out here right now."

"If you say so. But don't you think it might be wise to let me start with, say, white tailed deer and work my way up to bear and mountain lions?"

"We can hunt deer this time, but next time we're going after something bigger," Edward conceded. "Remember, Bella, the larger the animal the more it quenches the thirst."

I thought a deer _was_ a pretty large animal.

Edward stopped the Jeep. We had to be close to a hundred miles from civilization. I hopped out and breathed in the night air. It was less humid here; the thunderstorms were farther south. I couldn't smell any humans, only a multitude of animal scents. I could hear small mammals scurrying around the underbrush and birds rustling in their nests in the trees. From some distance away I picked up the hooting of an owl. It was like I was wearing night vision goggles; the forest wasn't dark, just dim, and I could make out every tree branch and shrub, and the glowing eyes of the animals hiding within them.

Edward was pacing the old stream bank, apparently looking for something.

"Over here, Bella," he called. I ran over to where he and Alice stood. "This is a deer trail," he explained. Through the underbrush I could see a thin line of worn tracks where the ground had been trampled bare. I could smell the animals who had last walked it, but their trail was old; they hadn't been through in several hours.

"Lead the way," Alice said to me, bouncing on her heels in excitement.

We ran through the woods, Edward just behind me to my right and Alice just behind to my left. I was following the scent of the deer as it led us deeper into the forest. The terrain slowed us down slightly; there were huge boulders and steep, sudden cliff faces. I passed several large caves where I'm sure we could have found bears or mountain lions if that is what we would have been hunting.

I could tell we were closing in on the deer. The scent was growing stronger, and now I could differentiate the animals within the herd; there appeared to be five fully grown does. The vampire was fighting for control now and I knew I would have to give in to her eventually. I had no idea how to kill a deer and drink its blood: the vampire did.

Finally, the scent trail led us into a thicket where the deer were grazing. They noticed us about three seconds before we were upon them. Tails raised in warning, the group scattered into the trees. We pounced on the three slowest. I gave over to instincts now and let the vampire have control of my body as I hurled myself at a large, honey colored doe. I grabbed her around the middle, the force of the impact throwing her to the ground, and within a second my teeth sank through the tough flesh on her neck. Her fur felt coarse against my lips as blood poured into my mouth and down my throat; I'd hit an artery. The doe bucked violently, causing me to lose my grip and grudgingly pull my mouth away. Blood spurted everywhere with every frantic heartbeat of the terrified animal; it sprayed my hair and face in hot, sticky pulses. I snarled and with a quick twist, broke her neck. The doe went still instantly and I put my lips back to the wound and sucked out the warm blood. I continued to drink until it became hard to draw more from the wound.

I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand. My whole face was sticky with drying deer blood, and it had run down my skin and onto my clothes. I was kneeling in a pool of it, soiling my jeans. Blood soaked pieces of hair clung to my forehead and the back of my neck. The vampire inside my mind still wasn't content, but she was satiated for the moment. It took me a few minutes of quiet thought to push her away so I could be Bella again.

Edward and Alice were watching me with identical looks of amusement on their faces. Their deer lay dead at their feet; there wasn't a drop of blood on them or the area around them.

"Show offs," I muttered as I wiped at my face with the hem of my shirt.

"It's best to break the neck before you bite," Alice replied.

"Yeah, I figured that out, thanks." She might have suggested that before hand. I looked down at the dead deer. "What do we do with the carcasses?"

"Leave them for the scavengers," Alice replied. "Nature will take care of them soon enough."

Edward was still watching me closely. He shook his head at me in disbelief. "You're a mess."

"No, really?" I had noticed.

"I heard a stream about a mile back. Let's get you cleaned up there. Emmett will kill me if I let you in his Jeep like this; you'll ruin the upholstery."

"I'll wait for you in the Jeep," Alice announced. She ran with us until Edward and I veered off in search of the stream. I could hear the water now, too.

The trees gave way to a rocky stream bed. Water was gushing over the side of a cliff face and splashing into a small pool before continuing down its course. The pool, four to five feet deep at the center, was ringed by boulders.

I pulled off my sneakers before taking a running leap off one of the boulders and into the frigid spring water. Out of habit, I took a deep breath before submerging myself. Once under water, I scrubbed at my hair and face with my hands. I tried to rub at my clothes too; they were ruined, but I was hoping to at least wash some of the blood out before the drive home.

Once I was satisfied that I had cleaned up as much as possible without the use of soap, I popped back to the surface. I doggy-paddled over to the boulder where Edward was standing, watching me.

"Better now?" I asked him.

"Much."

An evil thought crossed my mind. I pretended to pull myself onto the boulder, but about half way up I grabbed Edward's ankle, and with as much strength and speed as I could muster, pulled him off the rock.

Edward surfaced with a playful growl. With two thuds, he pulled off his soaked sneakers and tossed them onto the rocky shore. Then he came after me.

While I might be stronger than him, I still couldn't match Edward for speed. He caught me before I could scramble out and pinned me to the bottom of the pool, sending up billows of silt.

I pushed him off me and sprinted for the surface, enjoying our little game. Edward caught up with me just as my head broke the surface, and I was pulled under again by my ankle. We wrestled some more at the bottom of the pool; I could tell by Edward's face that he was having fun too. We could finally interact the way we were meant to, with no fear of him accidentally hurting me. It was allowing the playful side in Edward to come out.

We broke the surface again, with a splash, at the same time. Edward plowed me into the side of the boulder he had been standing on earlier. The atmosphere of the game suddenly changed. The playful wrestling became burning desire. I was acutely aware of every inch of Edward's body that was pressed against mine. Suddenly the water didn't feel so cold anymore. I knew he'd felt the change as well, because his lips were on mine before I could even say a word.

This was the kissing that had never been allowed when I was human. Edward's tongue caressed my lips, which I parted, to allow him to explore more. My hands pulled at his hair. It was only his weight pushing me against the rock that kept me from sinking. It felt as though Edward were trying to make up for all the times he had wanted to kiss me like this and couldn't; I gladly allowed it.

Somewhere along the way, he managed to pull my shirt off, though I couldn't remember pulling away from his lips for long enough to get it over my head. My fingers, now much more nimble, moved swiftly over his clothing; I flung the garments onto the shore. He had the rest of my clothes off in half a minute.

We stayed together, pressed against the boulder, long after the passion had subsided, letting the water lap at our bare skin. I had never felt such pleasure; it had been so freeing for both of us now that we didn't need to worry about the limitations of my mortal body.

"I love you," he whispered into my ear.

"I more than love you," I returned. I could now understand why Victoria had been so devoted to killing me. If anyone ever harmed Edward, I would want to cause them as much pain as possible. We were truly mates now; there was a bond that went beyond anything I could describe. Perhaps this is what the werewolves meant when they talked about imprinting.

"We should go soon," I mumbled. "Alice is probably wondering where we got to."

Edward laughed. "Oh, I think she knows exactly where we are and what we were doing. She wouldn't have gone back to the Jeep, otherwise."

I was horrified. "You mean she _saw_ that this would happen?"

"As soon as I suggested taking you here to get you cleaned up."

"Argh. I'm never going to be able to look her in the face again," I moaned.

Edward laughed again. "We're all adults, Bella. She didn't mind; she actually thought it was sort of romantic."

"Lovely, so I was the only one who didn't know what would happen."

"Just because I knew it would happen didn't make it any less pleasurable," Edward soothed.

"And I thought I was being sneaky, by pulling you off the rock."

"Bella, I love you dearly, but if I didn't want to end up in the water, you never would have gotten a drop on me."

I growled. "That sounds like a challenge. Care to test that theory?"

"I think I'll take a rain check, actually," Edward replied. "The sun will be rising in a few minutes and you start classes today."

Edward pulled away from me and climbed onto shore. I followed him and started hunting down my clothes; they were now stained with blood, dirt, and soaking wet. Luckily, the run through the woods to the car dried them almost completely.

Alice was waiting in the back seat of the Jeep for us.

"Have a good swim?" she asked innocently. I couldn't meet her face as I mumbled a reply.

When we arrived home, the sun was peaking over the horizon. I stood out in the lawn, admiring the way the morning rays sparkled when they hit my skin. I was amusing Edward, who was watching me from the porch steps. I imagined I looked a lot like a young child who had just discovered their reflection in a mirror. I kept moving my hand back and forth, watching in awe as the little rainbows reflected differently with every angle.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

I toyed with the idea of saying 'nothing' simply because I knew it annoyed him. In the end, though, I settled for the truth. "Just how different it is," I replied, never taking my eyes away from my glittering skin.

"It gets old," Edward replied humorlessly.

I couldn't see how it would.

"Anything else?" he prompted. Now that I wasn't sleeping he was itching to get inside my head.

I looked up now. "I'm just average, aren't I?" I asked. "I mean, as far as vampires go. I would have realized if I was talented by now, right?"

Edward looked like I had hit him as he raced to my side, pulling me roughly against him. "Don't you ever call yourself average again," he commanded.

I nodded dumbly. I hadn't expected that reaction.

"You're extraordinary," he added, "and never forget it."

"You're biased," I reminded him gently. "But I'm not talented, not like you, or Alice, or Jasper."

This time he was the one looking dumbfounded. "And what do you call being able to keep me out of your head, or your immunity to Jane and Aro's talents? I'd call that talent."

"But I could do that as a human, so it doesn't count."

Edward laughed at me. "That just means you were an extraordinarily talented human, and you're still talented. You've only been a vampire for two days, Bella. Sometimes it takes a little while for new talents to show up. Alice and I knew immediately what we could do, but it took Jasper longer to figure his talent out."

"Really?" That made me feel slightly better.

"Not that it matters," he continued. "I'm not going to love you any less if we find out your odd wiring hasn't changed at all and you still only have your human talents."

"I guess I was just hoping that something would change and I could do something more... profound... or useful."

Edward shook his head at me. "I'd call what you can do useful, especially if you ever meet up with Jane again."

"Yes, but that's only useful to myself."

"Well, at least I know changing you hasn't diminished your need to help other people and ignore yourself."

I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Seriously, Bella. Be happy with what you have. Do you think reading minds is always a picnic? Sometimes I would love to just be able to turn it off, so the only voice I could hear would be my own."

It was almost seven-thirty in the morning. We went to our room so that I could "attend" class. My professors, having been notified of my "condition" had each e-mailed me their course syllabus and any hand outs the class would receive. Edward then showed me how to log on to the camera system that connected me to the classrooms.

The ceiling mounted camera flickered to life and a large lecture hall appeared. The camera had been mounted near the back of the classroom, so that its wide angle lens overlooked the stadium seats along with the podium and chalk board. The camera could zoom, as well, to better focus on the professor, as well as pan left and right.

Students were slowly filtering into the room. The vampire, despite the hunting trip, pushed into control at the sight of their rosy faces. How easy it would be to catch a student. They were slow and careless, and on a campus that large there were many places to easily hide a body. Dormitory windows were rarely locked; usually they were thrown wide open because of a lack of air conditioning. A first or second floor room wouldn't be a problem getting into; and then there would only be two humans to contend with. I could kill them both before one even screamed. How sweet their blood would taste; how satisfying it would feel as it ran down my throat. There were hundreds of opportunities and scenarios, each one just as easy as the last. The hardest part would be picking one plan.

On second thought, I didn't even need to break into a dorm. It was a college campus; they would come out to me. Weekend parties meant that they would come stumbling down dark streets in the middle of the night, too drunk to know who to avoid; it would be easy to pick one off. Edward had said that the drunk ones tasted different.

Edward.

Edward wouldn't want me to kill a student.

I pushed the monster back; she no longer had control of my body and mind. I wasn't going to hunt any students, no matter what she whispered to me.

"Are you ok?" Edward was watching me closely with a concerned expression on his face.

"Sorry, I lost control for a minute," I confessed. Edward needed to know that the vampire had an interesting reaction to seeing students for the first time, just in case I lost control again and tried to act on my impulses. "I wasn't prepared for that sort of reaction. I didn't realize that just seeing humans would bring her out."

Edward nodded in understanding. "Maybe I did rush this college thing. I should have let it go for a semester or two."

I shook my head in objection. "No, I'm fine now. And I know what to expect, so I can control her better in the future."

The classroom was nearly filled to capacity now. The professor entered promptly at eight A.M. She was very young, maybe only thirty or thirty-five, and very tiny. Alice might even have been taller than her. Judging from her distinct facial features, she appeared to be of Asian decent, probably Chinese. She greeted the class cheerily; I adjusted the volume on the microphone attached to the camera to better hear her.

She started the class by handing out the syllabus and going over it. As she began to speak more, I realized that she had a very thick Asian accent. I could only understand about half the things she said. How was I supposed to learn statistics when I couldn't understand the professor?

"This is fantastic," I grumbled an hour later as the class ended and the students began leaving. I logged out of the camera program and rubbed my temples. A full hour hadn't helped me pick up her speech pattern any better; I wondered if the other students felt the same way. If she hadn't used a prepared PowerPoint slide show to explain the first lesson, I wouldn't have a clue what mean, median, or mode was. I guessed I would be teaching myself statistics; at least the tests would be written in English.

I had an hour before my next class, so I snuggled up next to Edward with one of the books from our private library on my lap. As I read I found that I could remember every single word as if my brain had simply taken a picture of the page and filed it away. So this was why Edward was so good at school; vampires had total recall. Perhaps statistics wouldn't be so hard once I had a textbook to memorize.

The next two classes weren't as bad as the first. The Composition professor spoke perfect English, so at least I could understand her. I was prepared for the vampire's reaction to the students, so I was able to keep her at bay, mostly. The only struggle had been during my Western Civilization class, but that was only because the professor was so monotone that I couldn't help but daydream about killing him.

It was early afternoon when I logged off after the last class. I kept the computer on, though, and sent Renee an e-mail assuring her that we had gotten to New Hampshire safely. I also told her about my morning classes, and attached a few more pictures from the honey moon. Next I called Charlie. I didn't trust myself enough to actually talk to him, but I knew he'd be at work already, so I simply left a message on the machine letting him know we were in New Hampshire and everything was fine. Once that was taken care of, I started typing my first Composition assignment. Anything that occupied my mind so that I couldn't start fantasizing about killing people was good.

The essay put my creative writing skills to the test. The prompt was to simply write two pages on what you did that summer. Obviously, if I turned in a paper about becoming a vampire I would either be sent to the school counselor or failed for not taking the assignment seriously. So I went along with Edward's story and wrote about having heart surgery and how recovery was going. I wrote that it was very boring being stuck in a house all day, which really wasn't too much of a stretch from how I really felt. I didn't take long. My fingers could fly across the keys now and my brain was able to think and process much faster. Within half an hour I hit the 'save' button and stretched back in my chair.

"That was easy," I said to no one in particular. "I was under the impression that ivy league schools were supposed to be hard."

I heard Edward chuckle quietly from his place on the sofa. "Wait until it's advanced physics or a four-hundred level course; those can be challenging the first time through."

The words 'the first time through' stuck in my mind. "How many times have you been to college, Edward?"

"Twice for medical school, to help Carlisle keep current with his practice, once for law, and once for business and economics."

"How did you survive Forks High School?" I asked in awe. "I would have been bored out of my mind."

"I never said I wasn't," he replied. "Knowing you made it slightly more interesting, at least. But going to high school is necessary in keeping up the charade, so we don't complain."

"So what did you do, purposefully answer questions wrong to keep teachers from getting suspicious?"

"Yes," he answered plainly. "We don't want a lot of attention, Bella. Alice and I could have easily been valedictorian of our class, but why take that away from a human who deserves it as well? And as for suspicions, well they'd never guess right, would they? We'd be accused of cheating or plagiarism before 'vampire' crossed their minds."

"Do we have to do the same thing in college?" I asked, thinking about my new found memorization ability.

"You especially," Edward replied. "Since they think you are being home schooled because of your health. If you give rote answers from the textbook they will just assume you looked up the answer and typed it in verbatim."

"I still have a lot to learn, don't I?"

Edward smiled. "It won't take you long. Now, let me take a look at that essay."

After Edward finished butchering my essay by adding unnecessary commas, a few intentional typos, and some medical terms that a heart transplant patient would know, he declared it ready to be turned in. I grimaced every time he tapped a key.

Edward leaned over and kissed me when he was finished. I glared at him. "Just because you _can_ do something perfectly now doesn't mean you _should_ do it perfectly."

* * *

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed it. Please leave me a review letting me what you did and didn't like. Next chapter coming tomorrow.


	12. Talent

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 12

Talent

Edward left just before sunset for his two night courses. Alice was left to babysit me. I lounged on one of the sofas in the basement, watching her and Jasper play foosball. Alice won, unsurprisingly, since she saw every move he intended to make a split second before he did.

"Do you want to play, Bella?" she asked as Jasper stalked away.

Why bother. "Not really," I replied. "You'll win anyway, so I'll just forfeit now. I'd rather play you in a game that involves chance rather than decisions and skills."

"Ok, how about Monopoly?"

I wondered if it was trick, but conceded in the end. There was too much luck involved to make me believe Alice would see the outcome. Alice pulled the board out of a cabinet and had it set up in all of three seconds.

"I call the top hat," she said, scooping up the piece and placing it on 'Go.' "Do you want to be the banker, Bella?"

I nodded and enjoyed doling out the money with my super speed. Alice coerced Jasper into joining us and soon play was under way. Alice was infuriating. She's toss the dice and then move her piece the appropriate amount of spaces before the dice even stopped rolling. She seemed impatient when Jasper and I didn't do the same thing.

Alice settled her piece five spots down the board as her dice finally stopped rolling and showed a three and a two. She picked up a Chance card and without flipping it over repeated, "the bank pays you a dividend of fifty dollars."

I reached down to grab a blue bill, but Jasper put his hand over mine to stop me. "Don't let her cheat," he cautioned. He gave Alice a look and she flipped the card over. It read ' You've been elected chairman of the board: pay each player fifty dollars.'

Alice grinned. She didn't look guilty at all as she paid us our due.

We were still playing when Edward came home from class. He settled onto the floor next to me to watch.

"No," Alice said suddenly. Jasper threw down his cards in frustration. He hadn't even asked for a trade yet. "Maybe if you offered me Kentucky Avenue and Marvin Gardens I would give you Pennsylvania Avenue."

Jasper shook his head. "That would give you control of that entire side of the board."

"I know."

"No deal."

It only took another half an hour before I went bankrupt and had to sell off all my properties. Jasper forfeited five minutes later, leaving Alice victorious once again. I started to question whether or not she could see the outcomes of games of supposed chance.

Edward and I went back to our rooms. There was a huge stack of books sitting on our new coffee table. "Please tell me those aren't all mine?"

"No, the stack on the left belongs to me."

I sniffed the air. "Why does it smell like bleach in here?"

"Because I wiped our books down with it. Did it help?"

"No. Was she pretty?" I was referring to the store clerk I could both smell on him and under the bleach on the books.

"Unbelievable."

"You tried, at least." I pushed away the murderous thoughts and went to look at the texts more closely.

"How come you aren't being subjected to all the freshman distribution courses?" I asked as I looked over his more advanced books.

"Because Dartmouth thinks I took a few classes over the last couple of summers," he grinned.

"Gee, couldn't help me out in that category could you?" I couldn't help but think of my monotonous Western Civ and unintelligible Statistics professors.

I looked at his books more closely. "I thought you said you already went to college for law?"

"I did, in the nineteen-forties. A lot of laws have changed since then; the entire civil rights movement for example."

He made me feel like my decision to major in English Literature was inconsequential and a waste of my abilities.

I had only two classes the next day; one was at two in the afternoon and the other was in the evening. It was the only course Edward and I were in together.

I prepared myself for the blood lust as I turned on the camera that showed the Spanish classroom, so it was easier to ignore the vampire in my head. At least I didn't want to act on her suggestions anymore. It probably also helped that this was a much smaller room, with only about forty seats, instead of hundreds.

When Edward left for his next night classes, I was again left in Alice's charge. She sat with me while I read the chapters I had been assigned so far, reading over my shoulder and making comments on how reliable or not the text was.

At eight o'clock I logged on for my Political Philosophy class; this was the one Edward was also in, though he got to attend in person. I maneuvered the camera remotely, scanning the lecture hall until I found him. He was sitting a few rows from the very back, in one of the aisle seats. I couldn't help but notice the other students let a few seats remain open between them and him. I kept the camera focused on the back of Edward's head until class started, then swiveled it to the front of the classroom to watch the older professor explain the syllabus and course requirements.

"You seem to be in pretty good control," Alice complimented from where she was lounging in Edward's high backed computer chair. She had her feet up on Edward's computer desk.

"It's harder than it looks," I responded. The vampire desperately wanted me to yield control over to her so she could slaughter the entire lecture hall. It was difficult to ignore her and still pay attention to class.

"Will you be ok if I go downstairs for a few minutes? Esme wants to ask me something."

"Go ahead," I responded.

"Do you want me to send Jasper in?"

"No, I think I'll be fine. If I didn't lose control at the beginning of class when I saw them all I don't think I will now."

"I'll be watching," she said with a smile as she tapped her temple. Then she danced out of the room.

I went back to watching my class. The professor had finished going over his syllabus and was moving on to his next plan. After having students fill out information cards about themselves he wanted them to get to know each other by introducing themselves to a neighbor.

The microphone picked up indiscriminate chatter as almost a hundred students began talking with each other. Not really wanting to stare at the unattractive professor for the whole exercise, I turned the camera back to Edward.

I saw him reach a hand across the chairs to shake hands with a girl who was sitting a row down and several seats in. She turned in her seat and I saw her face; her bored expression shifted suddenly. Edward didn't even know he was dazzling her. I imagined she was feeling a little woozy, listening to his velvet voice introduce himself. She giggled and flipped her fake blond hair over her shoulder. Instead of just leaning toward him, she actually picked up all her books and moved down her aisle so she was sitting directly in front of him.

Jealously flooded through me and the vampire fed off it. Didn't she see his wedding band? A guttural snarl tore from my lips as the twit shamelessly flirted with _my_ Edward. Did she have no sense of self preservation?

I tried to push the vampire back, but we had found some common ground in jealousy. My inner vampire was just as strongly attached to Edward as I was. Her whispering grew louder and more demanding.

It's just one exercise, I told myself. After this class they will never have a reason to talk again; I'll even ask Edward to change seats for me so he's nowhere near her.

And then the professor's voice broke over the chattering. "I hope you've all introduced yourselves because that person is your new partner for the rest of the semester."

I was no longer Bella; the vampire had full control. That blond girl was going to die. It wouldn't be hard; there was still half an hour left in the class. I could run to Dartmouth in that time and wait for her outside the lecture hall. The hardest part would be avoiding Edward, but if I stayed downwind of him it shouldn't be a problem. I could follow her back to her dormitory or car and at the first opportunity, pull her into some dark nook. She wouldn't even have time to scream. It would be killing two birds with one stone; her blood would quench my thirst and I wouldn't have to watch her flirt with Edward for the next three months.

I stood up. I didn't even bother finding shoes; I didn't need them. Leaving through the front door wasn't an option; the others would get in my way. No, I'd have to escape another way. I ran to the bedroom and onto the balcony and leaped from it. I landed softly, with hardly a sound, and was instantly sprinting. I was in the trees within a minute, but I skidded to a stop when a figure stepped out from behind a tree in front of me.

"Decide to kill anyone lately?" Alice asked conversationally as she danced back and forth, blocking my path.

I snarled and twirled around, intent on outrunning her or finding another path. She was taking up some of my precious time; if I didn't get there before the end of class I'd lose the girl amid all the other students. But I was surrounded now by my family; Esme, Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice had me trapped.

"Let me pass," I hissed.

"Bella, you don't want to do this," Alice insisted.

"Yes I do." All I could see was the girl from class; I really did want to kill her.

"I don't think our usual Bella is home right now," Emmett said from behind me.

I turned and growled at him. I felt caged and it was driving me crazy. They were going to make me miss my prey. What was the big deal anyway? Almost none of them were perfect themselves.

"I think this will involve more than just reasoning with her," Esme said softly. "Jasper?"

"On it." Jasper moved toward me as the others closed the gap he had left in their circle. I'd fight him if I had to. I'd fight all of them if that's what it took.

He was still two feet away from me when I realized he wasn't intending on attacking me, but it was too late to stop him.

"Jealousy is a really ugly thing, Bella," he said as he read the emotions pouring off my body. "Wouldn't you rather feel calm?"

As he said the words a soothing wave of emotion crashed into me. The vampire snarled and fought it, but it was washing the jealousy away. Once the jealousy was gone, I could push her back once again and regain control of my thoughts and movements.

And then the full brunt of what I had almost done hit me; I was horrified at myself. Anger replaced the jealousy: fury at myself. With no other outlet, I punched the nearest tree. My fist penetrated half way into the trunk, and with a tremendous creaking the tree began to list and finally fell over, taking a few smaller ones with it.

I could hear Emmett laughing at the display. I was in no mood to be laughed at. I snarled and lunged at him, but I wasn't paying much attention. The force of my punch had knocked the whole tree over, roots and all, and my feet got tangled in them. I promptly fell flat on my face.

When I stood back up, I was surprised to see Emmett on the ground too. Except he was there because he was laughing too hard to stand up. "I never thought I'd see it," he choked out in between spasms of laughter, "a clumsy vampire."

My anger subsided into pure shame. I hung my head and looked at the ground. I was awful at this. Not only could I not control myself, but I couldn't kill a deer properly and now I couldn't even walk gracefully.

"Let's go back inside," Esme said softly. She tucked an arm around me and gently, but purposefully, directed me back toward the house.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered.

"Don't apologize sweetheart, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Attempting to kill an innocent girl isn't wrong?" I asked incredulously.

"We stopped you in time," she replied. "So there was no harm done."

"Except that I still know what I almost did; what I _wanted_ to do. What the vampire still wants to do."

"No one expects perfection, Bella."

"I do." I'd promised myself that I would fight it. I'd had perfect faith in Edward preventing me from doing something awful if I lost control. But he hadn't been here; thank god for Alice.

I was steered into the downstairs living room and pushed onto the sofa.

"I still have class," I muttered.

"In these circumstances, I think its best if you miss the last fifteen minutes," Esme replied as she sat down next to me.

She was probably right about that; just thinking about that girl brought me dangerously close to the edge again. I knew if I saw her there would be no way I could stop the vampire. I pulled my now dirty feet onto the couch and hugged my knees to my chest, looking the perfect form of misery.

Esme put her arm around my shoulders and leaned me against her hard frame. I let my head fall against her shoulder, but I still continued to hug my knees.

"Don't take it too hard," she told me quietly as she stroked my hair. "You are new at this. It has to be expected."

I didn't think that was a good enough excuse for attempting to take a life.

Alice bounced into the room and plopped down on my other side. She also threw her arms around me; now I felt like a Bella sandwich.

"Cheer up, Bella."

I ignored her request. "Are the others angry at me?"

"Are you kidding? That was the most excitement we've had since June."

I couldn't help but growl lightly at her.

"Ok, so maybe exciting is the wrong word."

"You think?"

"No one is mad at you, Bella. The fact that it took you three days before you tried to make a break for it is impressive," Alice replied.

"Really?" I thought it was pathetic, not impressive.

"I tried to escape after three hours," Esme replied sheepishly.

I looked at her in shock. "But Carlisle and Edward stopped you, right?"

"That time, yes." There was a lot implied in her answer, but I didn't feel comfortable asking such as personal question as how many people she had killed. Plus, it was difficult for me to imagine Esme as anything other than motherly.

"Are you going to tell Edward what I did?" I asked Alice.

"Yes."

"I really wish you wouldn't." I sounded like a naughty child who didn't want mom to tell dad that she had been bad that day.

Alice laughed softly. "Even if I don't tell him verbally, he'd see it in my and everyone else's minds."

Yeah, that was a problem too. There couldn't ever be secrets in a house inhabited by a psychic and a mind reader.

Carlisle came home from the hospital before Edward got back from class. I continued to sit miserably between Esme and Alice, as they told him what had transpired. He didn't seem upset or angry. He didn't tell me to try harder next time or that he was disappointed in me. I wish he would have. I wanted someone to yell at me for my actions.

I could hear Edward's car crunching the gravel as he raced up the driveway. I resumed my huddled position, not sure how Edward would react to my actions. My mind was begging the others to be thinking of anything else, so that he couldn't see what had happened until Alice actually told him. I had never wanted Edward's mind reading ability to be nonexistent so badly before. It was too bad that everyone else couldn't have messed up wiring in their heads too.

The front door opened and closed and Edward walked into the living room. I couldn't bring myself to look at his face, fearing what I would see there. Instead I waited for him to say something, but it was Alice who broke the silence.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, sounding concerned.

That caused my eyes to automatically move toward his face. Edward didn't look angry, or disappointed, or anything other than perplexed. He kept looking from Esme, to Alice, and then to me.

"Is everyone else home?" he asked softly.

Now Alice looked downright worried. "Of course they are. Can't you _hear_ them?"

He shook his head. "The house might as well be empty. I can't hear any of you." There was the slightest bit of panic in his voice as he said it. "I could _hear_ everyone in class, and the other drivers on the way home, but as soon as I hit the driveway there was nothing. I thought everyone had left."

My head was spinning. It had to be more than coincidence that my exact wish for Edward's talent to disappear had come true. I had done something, I was sure of it, but I wasn't sure how to turn it off.

Before I could figure anything else out, the conversation swung back to me. Edward had finally noticed my miserable position. "Bella? What's wrong?" he asked, now standing right in front of me, Once again I couldn't look him in the face. He gently lifted my chin so that I had to meet my eyes. He saw the guilt swimming in them. "Oh no, what happened?"

Alice explained her vision and how they had stopped me. "Bella's been feeling guilty ever since," she added, "despite the fact that we've told her she didn't do anything wrong."

Now that Alice had told Edward, I no longer felt the desire for everyone in the house to keep it a secret.

Edward staggered backward, as if something had hit him. "Stop yelling, Alice!" he commanded.

"Oh, is it back?" she asked happily.

"Yes, it's like someone flipped a switch on."

Ok, this definitely wasn't coincidence. Perhaps my strange wiring had been enhanced when I was changed. "Actually, it was more like an off switch," I confessed in a low voice. I felt three sets of eyes pivot to me. I looked up at Edward with a sheepish smile. "I didn't want you to know what I almost did. So I've spent the last half hour hoping that the others would be thinking something else, or that they would be like me and have messed up brain waves. But then Alice told you anyway, so it no longer mattered to me if you could hear them or not. And then you could hear them." I wasn't sure if I had made any sense.

Edward was staring at me with his mouth open. Esme looked astonished and Alice looked elated.

"This is excellent," she exclaimed. "All those things I don't want to share with Edward...all I have to do is ask you to mess with his head."

I shook my head at her. "I wasn't messing with his head, at least I don't think I was. I think I was messing with all yours. Edward said he could hear everyone else, just not the people in this house, and that's who I was focusing on."

Edward and Esme finally seemed to have wrapped their minds about what had occurred.

"You're more gifted than we thought," Esme replied, "if that is what really happened."

"There's only one way to test that," Edward replied. "Try doing it again, Bella."

I wasn't sure if I could, since I didn't have the strong desire I did before. I concentrated on the vampires in the house and thought fervently about protecting their thoughts from Edward.

"Is it working?" I asked.

"I can't hear Esme or Alice, but I can hear the others."

"Damn." I stopped thinking and Edward grimaced as two sets of thoughts bombarded him once again. "Maybe I have to be upset, or really want it to work."

"Or you just need to practice," responded Edward.

"Do you think you can do one person at a time?" Alice asked. "Or does it have to be everyone?"

"I don't know. Let me try." I focused on only Alice's thoughts.

She looked at Edward curiously. "Anything?"

"No, it's as if you aren't there.

"Excellent."

I stopped focusing my thoughts and Alice's thoughts returned to Edward.

The family was convened and told of the discovery. I practiced my new found ability for hours that night. Edward would call out a name and I would try to block their thoughts from Edward. When everyone was in the same room it was easy, but when they dispersed throughout the house it became much more difficult. After several hours of drills and practicing I finally told Edward that I'd had enough for the night and we retired to our rooms. With all the excitement over my new talent I had nearly forgotten about my near miss. I was reminded, though, when I saw my lap top. The camera was still focused on the now dark and empty room. I logged off with renewed guilt.

"What are we going to do about my jealousy problem?" I asked. I knew seeing Edward working with that girl would continue to pull out the vampire.

"That's easy, I'll just drop the course."

"I don't want you to have to drop a course you're required to take just because of me. And I'll still see _her_ even if you aren't there."

Edward thought for a moment. "You could always drop the course. It's not a requirement for your major, and you can pick up a different distribution credit."

That seemed like a good solution to me. I logged into Dartmouth's online catalog and removed myself from Political Philosophy and picked up an Introduction to Anthropology course instead.

* * *

A/N: Hope everyone likes it so far. Please leave a review and let me know what you liked best. I love hearing from you guys.


	13. Visitors

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 13

Visitors

The months went by and I continued to practice my talent. By November I could block any given person's thoughts from Edward with just a simple thought on my part. It also became easier and easier to ignore the vampire. I no longer had the urge to murder the students in my classes just from sight. The only exception being the girl Edward was partnered with in Political Philosophy; just thinking about them together could bring the vampire out in full force. Edward had taken to changing clothes before he got home so that I couldn't smell her on him.

My growing self control made me feel confident that I might be able to call my parents and actually talk with them without losing control. Thanksgiving seemed the perfect day to try, since it was the first holiday I'd be spending without them.

I tried Charlie first.

"Hello?"

"Hi Dad." I tried to sound casual. So far so good; the vampire wasn't doing much more than whispering in the back of my mind.

"Bells? It's great to hear from you."

"Sorry I haven't been able to catch you earlier. I was getting sick of just leaving messages on the machine. My schedule has been pretty crazy between classes and work and everything."

Edward had devised a clever plan to explain my absence for major holidays to Charlie and Renee. Previous phone messages made them think I had an after class job at a local coffee house, and I would conveniently need to work during the holidays.

"I understand. Though I hope you aren't letting this part time job interfere with your school work?"

I fought down the urge to laugh. "Of course not, Dad. Classes are going just fine, job and all."

"Good. Good."

"So what are you doing for Thanksgiving?" I prompted. I was really hoping Charlie wasn't spending it alone, eating a frozen turkey dinner and watching football all day.

"Billy invited me to come watch the games at his place," Charlie replied.

"That's great, Dad." I didn't have to fake the enthusiasm. I was really happy that Charlie wasn't spending the holiday alone.

"Well Bells, the first game starts in half an hour..."

I did laugh this time. "I don't want to make you miss kick off. Tell Billy and Jake that I said 'hi.'" I smiled as I imagined the looks on their faces.

"I will. It was great hearing from you, Bells. Take care of yourself."

"You do the same, Dad."

"Bye, Bells."

"Bye, Dad."

I called Renee next, but couldn't talk long to her either, since she was attempting to cook a Thanksgiving dinner for her and Phil. I wondered if I should call her local fire department and put them on standby.

The Cullens also had a Thanksgiving tradition that involved turkeys. It was their yearly turkey hunt, which sounded easy until I discovered that the large birds can actually fly, and vampires can't. My usual method of just running until I caught something didn't work so well when the prey could leave the ground. I resorted to climbing a tree to secure my Thanksgiving dinner, but I still ended up picking feathers out of my hair for about an hour. At least I wasn't covered in turkey blood.

Once thanksgiving was over, the Christmas shopping season started. Since I was still too dangerous to be set loose in a mall, I had to do all my shopping over the Internet. I hated thinking up presents for people, and this year I had an even larger family than usual.

"What should I get Charlie?" I moaned as I scrolled through Amazon's top list of things to get dads. Nothing seemed to scream Charlie's name.

Edward looked over at me from the top of his textbook. "What about tickets to a baseball game in California in the summer?"

That was a good idea. I immediately Googled California baseball teams. "What else?"

"You could have a private chef come in a few nights to cook for him," he suggested. Edward was all to aware of how much I worried about Charlie's ability to care for himself.

I Googled that too, but balked at the prices. They were ridiculous; cooking shouldn't cost that much money. And that led me to an idea. _I _could still cook for Charlie. There was a perfectly functional kitchen downstairs, and I could pack the food in dry ice and have it shipped to Charlie. That was a perfect Christmas present

"Could you go to the grocery store for me?" I asked Edward sweetly.

Three hours later, after a large grocery order, as well as sending Edward to get pots and pans, I had taken control of the Cullen kitchen. It felt good to cook again; it was something I had always enjoyed doing for Charlie.

I was pressing ground beef into a meatloaf pan when Emmett sauntered into the kitchen. He looked at me, looked at Edward, and asked, "she does know she can't eat that, right?"

I rolled my eyes and lobbed a piece of raw meat at him. He ducked, unfortunately, and the ground beef splattered against the wall. I turned back to the stove and continued my preparations, when something cold and slimy hit the back of my head.

I snarled and rounded on Emmett. He dashed out of the kitchen before I could retaliate.

Christmas crept closer and closer. Finals came and went and the winter break started, which meant I had little to do. I had underestimated how boring being a newborn vampire could be, with no opportunities to leave the house, and tv and movies making self control difficult. So, on a snowy Thursday afternoon in early December, I could be found sitting in the downstairs living room, committing Jane Eyre to memory. Emmett had just carried in a ten foot tall Christmas tree and was busy putting it into a stand in the corner of the room. Alice was sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by boxes as she unpacked tree lights and Christmas balls while humming carols.

I looked up from my novel when the humming suddenly stopped. Alice was sitting stalk still, staring out into space, with a red Christmas ball still in her right hand.

"Alice, what do you see?" I asked unconcernedly. Alice had been getting more visions than usual, owing to the fact that everyone was making decisions about what to get one another for Christmas. She had already thanked me profusely for the CD's I'd ordered for her.

But Alice didn't snap out of it and answer me immediately. Her blank look continued.

"Alice?" I stood up now and crossed over to her, shaking her shoulders slightly. She was starting to scare me; she definitely wasn't seeing a simple gift purchase. "Alice, tell us what you see." Emmett was watching her with a concerned expression too.

Alice blinked suddenly and her eyes refocused on me. "Oh. Hi, Bella."

"Hi, indeed. Are you going to share what that was all about?"

"We're getting visitors," she replied with a shrug. "No big deal."

My thoughts immediately went to Renee and Charlie; would they try and surprise me with a visit? But if that were the case, Alice would certainly call it a big deal, right?

"Who?" Emmett demanded.

"The Volturi...well, some of their guard."

"And that's not a big deal?" I shrieked.

"You're a vampire now," Alice responded with little concern. "We've met their conditions, so we have nothing to worry about."

My mind automatically conjured up an image of Bree, sitting miserable and alone in the meadow back in Forks. Just because I wasn't human anymore didn't mean I didn't fear the Volturi and what some members of their group could do.

"When?" I managed to squeak out.

"Four days before Christmas," she responded.

"What a lovely present," I muttered, still not at ease with the news.

The rest of the family seemed to share Alice's opinion that it was not a big deal. The only concern Edward had was that letting them know about my talent would make Aro more curious about me, so we all agreed not to tell the Volturi about my ability to block thoughts from Edward. Still, despite everyone's reassurances, I couldn't shake the feeling that nothing good would come from the Volturi's visit.

The day after Alice foresaw the visit from the Volturi, she again went into one of her trances.

"What now?" I asked moodily. I was having a bad day controlling myself. We hadn't been hunting in almost a week, and the packages Edward had picked up from the post office for me were covered in delicious human scents. Murderous fantasies coupled with the upcoming Volutri visit meant I wasn't in a good mood.

Alice blinked. "Oh, more guests. How nice."

I waited for a second for her to elaborate, but she didn't seem to feel the need. I turned to Edward with a questioning look. He was silent too as he read her thoughts; then a smile graced his beautiful face.

"Our Spanish friends have decided to pay us a visit," he told me.

"It was a very spur of the moment decision," Alice added. "I'm surprised they were able to get a flight."

That was the best news I'd heard all week.

I paced anxiously while I waited for Reina, Sarita, and Alonso to arrive. Edward, Alice, Carlisle, and Esme had gone to the airport to pick them up. Seeing as allowing me to visit a crowded airport would be the basis for a bad B-rate horror movie, I was stuck at home with Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper. As soon as I heard the cars in the driveway I ran outside.

Edward parked the Volvo and four vampires got out. Reina, Sarita, and Alonso didn't seem surprised to see that I was now one of them, so I guessed Edward had forewarned them.

"Bella, it's so good to see you again," Reina greeted as I rushed forward. She kissed my right cheek, then my left. Sarita did the same. Alonso gave me a brief hug; he already seemed more at ease since my blood no longer tempted him.

Carlisle seemed eager to get everyone back in the house so he could talk with our new guests. I listened happily from the corner of the sofa where I was curled up next to Edward. Having new people to interact with helped ease the tedium and get my mind off the Volturi's upcoming visit. Though I still couldn't help but worry silently.

Two days before the Volturi arrived the anxiety got the better of me. Even our guests had noticed the change; I was jumpy and curt when spoken to. I preferred to be by myself, even with Edward. I often paced without realizing I was doing it.

"Bella, is there something troubling you?" Sarita asked as she walked into the dark living room, where I had been sitting alone, staring at the dark fireplace.

"I'm sorry," I apologized. "I'm being an awful hostess, aren't I?"

"You and your family have been very welcoming," she countered. "But you seem upset. I hope our visit hasn't come at a bad time."

"Oh no, it has nothing to do with you at all," I stressed. "It's just that you aren't the only guests we are expecting this holiday."

Sarita gave me a confused look. "The Volturi are coming to see us in two days, to ensure that I was changed into a vampire. I know I shouldn't be worrying about it anymore, but I just have a bad feeling."

Sarita's demeanor changed suddenly. "I'm glad you told me this, Bella," she said darkly. "Unfortunately, I think it means we are going to have to cut our visit short."

"No, don't go," I begged. "I'm sure I'll be back to myself once they leave. You shouldn't feel obliged to go. Alice says they don't intend to stay long."

Sarita looked apologetic. "It has nothing to do with that, Bella. There is some bad blood between us and the Volturi."

Now it was my turn to look confused.

"Reina and I sought out the Volturi in hopes of getting their help in avenging what had been done to us. We had heard all about their civility, and thought that they would be incised by how we had been treated."

"They refused to help, didn't they?"

Sarita nodded. "As long as it doesn't threaten to reveal the secret of our existence, the Volturi don't care. But it got worse. Not only did they refuse to help, but we recognized one of the members of their guard. Felix had dropped into our cell as a paying customer a few times."

My mouth fell open. "You mean you can remember every man who ever..."

Sarita nodded. "By scent, if not by sight. Total recall isn't always useful; there are many things I'd like to forget." She was silent for a moment. "So I think you understand now why it is best for us to leave."

I nodded. "You could leave for that day and then come back once they leave," I tried, knowing it was a long shot.

Sarita shook her head. "Reina and I might have been able to control ourselves, and stay away, but Alonso is very touchy about my past. He'd start trouble just because he wants to avenge my past wrongs, and we certainly don't want to cause any trouble for your family. It's best that we are far away by the time they arrive."

That night all the Cullens gathered to say goodbye to our new friends. "We're so sorry you have to leave under these circumstances," Esme said as the three vampires prepared to leave.

"So are we," Reina replied, "but the last thing we want is to start trouble between your family and the Volturi because of us."

"We manage to find plenty of that ourselves," Emmett said was a grin.

"Well, if you ever find yourselves in open hostilities, you have some allies," Reina replied.

"Hopefully it will never come to that," Carlisle interrupted. I knew he felt conflicted between his past friendship with Aro, Marcus, and Caius and the animosity Edward, Alice and I had caused with the guard.

The three Spanish vampires left the house in a slow jog. They were heading north, to hunt some big game in Canada before flying back to Madrid.

Two days later, the Volturi arrived, just as Alice had predicted. Carlisle and Esme welcomed them to our home warmly, more warmly than I thought the small group deserved. Only Jane, Alec, Felix, and Demetri had come. The entire family was crowded into the entrance hall. I couldn't help but glare at Felix, knowing what he had done to two of my friends in the past.

Demetri smiled when he saw me. "Bella, I'm so glad that you have joined our world." He actually seemed genuine.

Jane, on the other hand, looked furious. She had probably been looking forward to killing me.

"Would you like to have a seat?" Esme asked politely, motioning to the living room. There was a roaring fire in the huge fireplace and the Christmas tree had been lit.

"No, thank you," Demetri replied. "We weren't planning on staying long. We're heading to Canada, actually. There has been some trouble in Salluit, Quebec."

"Really? I haven't heard anything," Carlisle responded with obvious surprise.

"Their government has been covering it up," Jane replied curtly. She still looked angry, and went back to glaring in my general direction.

Demetri nodded in agreement with Jane. "Before we go, I've been instructed to once again offer an invitation to Edward and Alice. Aro would still very much like to have you join us. And Bella, too, of course, trusting she has shown the talent we expected."

They had expected talent of me? I wondered why.

"Actually, she hasn't shown any more talent than what she possessed as a human," Edward lied flawlessly.

"Well, I suppose that is talent in its own right," Demetri responded.

Jane was now staring at me like she knew Edward was lying. I tried to look innocent. Her facial expressions changed slightly and I knew what she was trying to do. Thankfully, it still didn't work.

Edward knew too, and he issued a low warning growl. She pulled her gaze away.

"Tell Aro that we appreciate the offer," Edward replied, "but our place, as always, is here with our family."

Demetri seemed to expect the refusal and took it well.

"Send my greetings to Aro, Marcus, and Caius" Carlisle added. "Perhaps when Bella is older we will visit." I sincerely hoped he was just saying that to be polite. I could exist happily for the rest of eternity without ever seeing the Volturi or their guard again.

The whole visit only lasted five minutes. I had spent half a month worrying over nothing. The four vampires disappeared into the woods, their dark cloaks making them hard even for my new eyes to see. I hoped they wouldn't pick up the scent of the Spanish vampires and try to track them. Hopefully their desire to get their job done in Quebec would prevent any meetings between the two groups.

"Are they really going to Canada?" Rosalie asked.

I pondered the possibility that they really had come all this way just to check on me.

Edward nodded. "As far as I could tell."

"Well, hopefully that's the last we see of them," I expressed. "Especially Jane. She seemed less than thrilled to find me a vampire."

Edward gave a hollow laugh. "She feels threatened by your abilities. She doesn't like being thwarted and she worries that you might be able to block Alec's abilities too. There was a lot of animosity in her mind."

"I could tell," I responded. At least it was over now.

I was much happier for Christmas now that the Volturi had come and gone. There was a massive pile of presents underneath the Christmas Tree on Christmas morning, which meant a general free for all as we all ripped paper off presents and shouted thanks across the room.

My last gift was from Edward. He handed me the small box with a crooked smile. My initial thought was jewelry, but when I pulled the lid off there was a shiny new key inside.

"You didn't?" Edward had been bugging me to let him buy me a new vehicle ever since we had left my trusty truck behind in Forks. I thought a new car was pointless since I couldn't drive it anywhere yet.

His smile simply widened. He _had_ bought me a new car.

"Oh, let's go see it," Alice begged.

"As if you haven't seen it already," I returned.

"Not in person." She pulled me to my feet and marched me out the front door and around to the Cullen garage. The rest of the family followed behind us.

There it was, with a huge, red bow affixed to the top of the cab: a new, shiny, forest green Ford F-150 pickup truck. My mouth opened in surprise.

"Do you like it?" Edward asked.

"It's perfect. I love it," I squealed. I'd been trying to picture what sort of ridiculous sports car Edward would buy me; I couldn't picture myself driving a Mercedes, BMW, of Porsche. This was just my style.

I opened the driver's side door and breathed in the new car scent. The seats were black leather. There was an elaborate touch screen CD player and navigation system in the dashboard. I wondered if it came standard or Edward had gotten it as a joke about my sense of direction. There was also a flip down DVD player in the ceiling.

"Is that for amusing Emmett on long hunting trips?"

"Exactly," Edward chuckled.

Emmett playfully punched me in the arm. I punched him back, hard. It sounded like two rocks being ground together. I still hadn't gotten him back for the raw meat episode in the kitchen. I was happy to see him flinch slightly.

I put the key into the ignition and turned it. The engine sprang to life with a much quieter growl than I was used to from my old truck. Edward hopped into the passenger seat as I carefully maneuvered the truck out of the garage. The heavily tinted windows made the snowy day look even dimmer. I did a few donuts in the snow before returning it to the garage.

Later that day I called Charlie to wish him Merry Christmas. I knew my not being home for the holiday was rough on him.

"Merry Christmas, Dad." I said when he answered the phone. "Thanks for the CD's."

"You're welcome Bells. And thank you. You got me too much. You should have been studying rather than cooking for me."

"I wanted to make sure you are eating real food," I teased. "So did you like the baseball tickets?"

"I couldn't believe my eyes, Bells. You should try to come home during the summer for one of the games."

This was the part of the conversations with Charlie that I always hated. "Oh, I think you'd have more fun with Billy," I replied, trying to sound upbeat. "You know me. You'd have to explain everything that's happening and I'd probably just fall asleep before the seventh inning stretch."

Charlie laughed. I was happy he didn't see through my thin charade.

"Well then, I'll be thinking of you when I'm there."

"You do that, Dad. So how has everything else been? Anything exciting happening in Forks?"

Usually it wasn't much more than a few traffic accidents and maybe a structural fire.

"Actually, I got called out early this morning to the high school. Someone broke into the library."

For Forks, that was big news. Though, I couldn't imagine why anyone would want to break into the library; there wasn't anything worth stealing there. The book selection was poor and the computers so outdated that even selling them on the street wouldn't bring much more than twenty dollars. "What did they take?"

"That's what's strange," Charlie replied. "As far as we can tell, only a few of the recent yearbooks are missing. Though they left quite a mess, so the librarian might find more later. We think it was some kids from Port Angeles; Forks beat their football team in the Homecoming game this year, and they weren't happy about it." Charlie yawned as he finished speaking.

"You sound like you need a nap," I teased.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea," he responded. "I don't want to be falling asleep at dinner tonight. The Clearwater's invited me over. Billy and Jake are going to be there too."

"I hope you have a good time. Tell everyone I said hello."

"I will. Take care of yourself Bella."

"Don't worry about me, Dad. Just take care of yourself."

All I got in response was a noncommittal grunt.

"Bye, Dad. I'll talk to you again soon."

"Bye, Bells."

* * *

A/N: I loved getting all the great reviews from you guys the last couple of days. Please keep it up. It makes my day.


	14. Murder

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 14

Murder

New Years came and went. My silent resolution was not to kill anyone this year. The spring semester would be starting up soon at Dartmouth, and I was looking forward to it at least as a way to occupy some of my copious free time.

"It'll be so nice when we can travel," I mused as Edward and I sat in our private living room. I was sitting between his legs with my back and head against his chest. We were watching the travel channel; I was starting to enjoy television again since I could now control the murderous fantasies. "I'm so bored of being cooped up in here. Hunting trips don't really count. I'd even go shopping with Alice and Rosalie at this point."

Edward laughed. "Now that worries me," he teased.

"It should. I'm going stir crazy. You never warned me about this."

"It's just a year or two out of forever, Bella. You'll survive."

"I know," I sighed. "But that doesn't keep me amused now."

"Hmm."

"What?" I craned my head back to look into his eyes; I saw an idea forming. "What are you thinking?"

"You've been doing very well with controlling yourself lately," he said slowly. "Far better than expected. I wonder if it isn't time we started introducing you back into the human world."

I looked at him like he was insane. "Edward, I could _kill_ someone." I imagined what would happen if I was allowed anywhere near humans.

"I'm not going to just drop you in the middle of a mall and leave." Edward rolled his eyes at me. "I was thinking of smaller experiences to start with. Taking you into town in the middle of the night, for instance, before school starts up again."

"But how will that help?"

"Think of it almost like an inoculation. At first, you couldn't even smell traces of humans without losing control. But now you've got a pretty good handle on that. You can watch tv again too, and sit through class without becoming a monster. So its time to take the next step. There will be a lot more human scents in town, and they will be a lot stronger, but you have to be exposed to them to help you gain more self-control."

"It's still risky," I replied. Town wouldn't be completely empty, and there was always the chance I would break into a house and kill someone while they slept.

"It's always risky for us, Bella. Even after all these years. Look at what almost happened when I first met you. There's always the chance you'll encounter a person who's blood smells too good to resist. The only way to avoid risk is to never leave the house again."

I shuddered at that thought. I loved our house, but it was starting to feel like a posh prison.

"Ok," I conceded, "so when do you want to try this little experiment?"

"Tomorrow night," he responded. "Tonight we'll go hunting for some extra security."

The next night, Edward and I set out for town, along with Alice, Emmett and Rosalie as my guard. I was practically bouncing with anticipation as Edward drove along the deserted streets. He parked in one of the Dartmouth commuter lots.

As soon as I stepped out of the car I was hit with a wall of smells. The vampire went crazy; she didn't know which direction to turn first. There were too many scents to choose from.

I sorted through the smells. Most were old; it would be pointless to follow them. But there were some stronger, newer scents in the parking lot as well. Several terminated abruptly, indicating that the humans had gotten into cars. I picked up two distinct scents that were relatively fresh: maybe only twelve hours old. Two females had crossed the parking lot, heading east toward the Dartmouth dormitories. My head automatically turned in that direction as I sank into a hunting crouch.

I took in my surroundings now. We were in one of the more remote parking lots. A lonely sidewalk weaved between maintenance buildings. Behind those buildings I could see the taller dormitories rearing up, their windows dark and mostly empty. Still, those two girls were somewhere within one of the those buildings, probably asleep and completely unaware of the danger lurking outside.

"Bella." Edward was now standing in front of me, blocking my view of the dormitories. "If you can't control yourself I'll take you home."

I didn't want to go home yet. His gentle threat was enough to take the vampire out of hunting mode; she was content with exploring tonight, but I couldn't gain back complete control of my mind.

"I'll behave," I promised.

We walked in a tight group away from the dormitories and toward the town of Hanover. Every few feet I encountered new smells and new scenarios popped into my mind, but as promised, I didn't do anything but file away the information for possible future use.

After an hour of walking around the empty streets, I was able to gain a little more control over the vampire. She was becoming used to the older scents, and with Edward using his mind reading talent to ensure we didn't come close to any humans, I felt a little more comfortable.

We got home just before sunrise. The car ride had allowed me to push the vampire completely into the back of my mind again.

"So was that a useful experience?" Edward asked as we lounged on our king sized bed.

"Yes, actually. I realized the vampire can be in control but still not have to hunt. And now those little scents that come in on things from the store don't bother me at all."

It was a little after eight in the morning when Carlisle called us downstairs. Edward immediately adopted a concerned expression, but wouldn't tell me what was wrong.

The rest of the family was already in the living room, all watching the television intently. The local morning news was on. The pretty anchor woman was recapping the top stories with a grim look on her made up face.

"And for those of you just joining us, our top story is out of Hanover this morning, where police are reporting a homicide on the Dartmouth Campus." A photo of a young woman flashed onto the screen and my hand automatically flew to my mouth in shock. It was the same girl who Edward had been partnered with in philosophy class; the one I'd tried to kill three months ago.

"Police say that nineteen year old Bridget Perkins was found slain in her dorm room just after four o'clock this morning. The gruesome discovery was made by Lana Hendrickson, Perkins' roommate, who woke after hearing Perkins scream. Police report that Hendrickson saw a woman in their room, bending over Perkins. When Hendrickson got out of bed to confront the intruder the woman ran from the room, escaping through their third floor window. Police are asking hospitals in the area to be on the lookout for anyone coming in with severe leg injuries that were possibly sustained in a fall."

"Right now, police aren't releasing exactly how Perkins was killed, but they have stated that the death is being treated as a homicide. Police are looking for a woman between the ages of eighteen and twenty four, about five foot, two inches tall to five foot, five inches tall, with long dark brown hair. If anyone has any information at all, please call the number at the bottom of the screen. We will continue to update you with more information as it becomes available."

I looked around the room as the newscast switched over to weather. Every eye in the room was looking at me and I knew why; the police description could match me perfectly. And from what the anchor had said, it seemed liked that the assailant was less than human.

Carlisle gave Edward a pointed look, but Edward shook his head. "No, it's not possible. She never left our sight and I haven't left her since we got home."

"I swear, I didn't touch that girl," I started, but Carlisle raised a hand to stop me.

"No one is accusing you of anything, Bella. I believe you and Edward, and I'm sure Alice, Emmett, and Rosalie will attest that you never left their sight last night." The others nodded.

"But this can't be coincidence, can it?" I responded.

"What else would it be?" Rosalie asked back. "We know you didn't do this Bella, there was no opportunity. And Alice would have seen it anyway."

"Hopefully, it was just someone passing through," Edward added. He looked just as shaken as I did; it wasn't very comforting.

"But why wouldn't a nomad hit a big city, like Manchester or Montpelier?" Jasper asked. "They had to know that an attack on a student at such a prestigious school would make national news."

"Maybe she intended to hide the body, but was interrupted by the roommate," Emmett supplied with a shrug.

"But why not just kill the roommate then. Hiding two bodies wouldn't be hard. The semester doesn't start again for a few days, so it could be over a week before they were discovered missing," replied Jasper.

"Especially after being seen well enough for the girl to give a description," Edward agreed. "Killing her wouldn't have been difficult."

"Unless Bridget was her specific target," I said meekly, not wanting to sound like I understood the mind of a murderer. In this case, however, I did. When I had tried to hunt Bridget I had only intended on killing her and no one else.

"That's another option," Carlisle conceded. "But I agree that it was likely just someone passing through. Perhaps something about Bridget's blood highly appealed to this vampire. She might not even have intended to hunt."

That was Carlisle, always trying to find the good in people.

"Regardless, this is going to be on every news channel in the country," Edward replied. "We're going to have to be extra careful until this blows over." I knew he was talking about me.

The spring semester began a week later. At first, all anyone could talk about was the unsolved murder, even the professors. After a few weeks, however.the story about the murdered girl disappeared from the headlines. Police, unsurprisingly, didn't have a suspect in custody. In fact, they had almost no evidence, which just hardened our suspicions that it had been a nomadic vampire passing through the area.

After three weeks and no other slayings, Edward felt it was safe to once again take me out into the town at night. This time Jasper, Alice, and Esme came with me. We waited until after two in the morning, so that the bars could empty out. Already it was easier to control the vampire. This trip took us around the Dartmouth campus, which meant I had a lot more scents than last time. Hundreds of students criss-crossed the campus daily, but I was able to get the vampire in check. Edward seemed impressed by how quickly my self-control was developing.

I was on pins and needles the day after our excursion. I was terrified that another student would be found murdered on a night that I was conveniently out and about. Thankfully, nothing more exciting than a minor break in had occurred.

"You seem jumpy," Edward commented that night.

"The murder of that student really threw me for a loop," I replied. "I know it wasn't me, but at the same time, it seemed too timed with my outing to be coincidence."

Edward gave me a crooked smile. "You're paranoid," he teased.

And I had every right to be paranoid, because a week later two students went missing.

Once more the entire family was gathered in the living room, watching a news report.

"It's the same person who killed Bridget, I know it," I moaned.

"Don't jump to conclusions, Bella," Esme soothed. "Humans go missing all the time with no help from our kind."

Edward seemed to share her feelings.

And then they found the bodies in the local landfill.

"Still think they are unconnected?" I asked Edward moodily. Carlisle had broken into the morgue to get a look at the bodies. He thought it was a vampire, but a week in a landfill had destroyed any scent left behind.

"It doesn't mean it's the same vampire," Edward responded. "The bodies were hidden this time, and it was a cleaner kill. I don't think it's the same perpetrator."

"Still, two vampire attacks within a month, in a small town? Like Jasper said, why aren't they attacking larger cities with much higher crime rates? Something isn't right."

"Bella, just relax." He started rubbing my shoulders. I imagined it was like trying to massage granite; yet it still felt good. I'd been stressing myself out over the past month.

I slouched into the sofa as my muscles relaxed under his touch. Edward bent down to kiss my neck tenderly.

"You're just trying to distract me," I mumbled.

"Is it working?" He moved to kiss my lips.

A little more of that and it would be. Edward took my silence as a yes and continued to kiss me in criminal ways. The murders slipped from my mind.

The weeks slipped by, with no further incidents.

"Do you want to go out tonight?" Edward asked in mid March.

I did, but the old murders still bothered me. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was more wrong than we thought. "No, that's ok. We can stay in."

"Bella." Edward saw through the charade. "Stop being paranoid."

"Not as easy as you make it sound," I shot back.

"Come on. I have someplace special for tonight."

He was appealing to my curious side. Damn him.

"I'll even let you drive," he wheedled.

How did he know I had been itching to take my Christmas present out again? "Ok," I conceded, unable to resist.

An hour later, I was driving us toward Hanover. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were in the back seat.

"You know, this truck can go over fifty-five," Edward complained as he peeked at the speedometer.

"Yes, but the speed limit is only forty-five," I returned, continuing to drive at the same speed.

"I'll warn you if there are any speed traps ahead," Edward responded. "I didn't buy you a new truck so you could drive slow."

I laughed. "You're the one who said I could drive."

"And it'll be the last time," he muttered.

"At this rate, we'll get there around sunrise," Alice teased from the backseat. I shot her a dirty look.

"Fine." I pressed down on the accelerator and brought the truck up to seventy miles per hour. "Happy now?"

The campus was mostly deserted, and Edward kept us clear of any bar stragglers.

"So where are we going?" I asked, still curious.

"There," he pointed to a large stone building near the center of campus. It wasn't until we reached the front doors that I realized it was the library.

Edward had a side door opened for us in half a second. I followed him inside and breathed in the musty aroma of books; I had always loved the way libraries smelled.

The library was closed, so we had the entire place to ourselves. The smell of the librarians and students tested my self control, but my excitement for the books overshadowed the vampire. Edward watched me explore. Alice, Emmett, and Jasper had felt it was safe enough for them to go to different floors.

Edward and I were on the fourth floor, looking through the stacks of novels near the eastern wall, when we both saw movement outside.

"What was that?" It had been going too fast to be a human, but I had only caught the movement out of the corner of my eye.

"I'm not sure," Edward's eyes narrowed with worry. He looked out the window again and then toward me. "Stay here. I'm going to go find out."

Edward sprinted for the steps. I did as he said and stayed in the row of shelves. With Edward gone, it was my first true test of self-control. I was alone, and the vampire knew it. Her whispering increased. I could practically taste the scent of the two students that I had encountered during my first trip. The bean bag chairs near the windows were doused with the aroma of students. I could see dormitories from the library window. It wouldn't take long to get into one of the dorms and find just one student; it would satisfy my thirst and I might even get back before Edward.

I fought against the vampire. I wasn't going to be that suspect in the news story this time. I walked farther down the aisle of tomes, away from the windows and temptation. I pulled a random volume off the shelf and settled onto the floor before cracking it open. It was Machiavelli's _The Prince_. It wasn't the type of reading that helped keep the vampire under control.

I was through the first forty pages when Edward returned.

"Bella?" I heard something like panic in his voice.

"I'm over here," I called as I stood up and replaced the book.

Edward appeared around the edge of the stacks. He looked relieved to see me. "We need to leave." He grabbed my hand and started dragging me toward the exit.

That didn't sound good. "Why? What happened? What's out there?"

"There's been another murder," he replied simply.

I stopped in shock, using my strength to prevent him from towing me any farther. "What?"

"Bella, now is not the time. Let's go." His eyes were begging me. Something was horribly wrong.

We ran down the steps and into the lobby. Alice, Jasper, and Emmett were waiting for us there, looking grim. Edward beat me to the truck and hopped into the driver's seat. I wasn't about to protest as I climbed into the passenger seat. I barely had the door closed before we were speeding away, doing much more than seventy.

"What the hell happened back there?" I demanded once we were outside the city limits.

Edward's response surprised me. Without looking away from the road he muttered, "I don't know yet."

The other's were strangely silent the whole way home.

We barely stepped through the door before Edward called the other family members.

"A security guard on campus has been murdered," he reported. He left no question with his tone that it wasn't a typical murder. The vampire that had killed those students was evidently back.

"Did you see the body?" Carlisle asked.

Edward nodded. The expression on his face changed suddenly, and I couldn't understand why he suddenly looked so anguished.

"Did you pick up a scent?" Rosalie asked from her perch on the arm of the sofa.

"Yes."

Alice, Emmett, and Jasper still hadn't said anything. Had one of them accidentally lost control? Is that why the tension was so thick is was palpable. Would we have to leave this place? Worse, would the wolves back in La Push hear about this and come after us?

"Well, spit it out," Rosalie replied, agitated. "Did you recognize it?"

Edward nodded. He looked like he was in pain.

"Damn it, Edward, we can't all read minds."

Esme put a restraining hand on Rosalie's arm. She seemed to be a step ahead of her daughter.

"Edward, you need to tell us, dear. Whatever happened. We can deal with it."

Edward took a deep breathe. It was only then that I realized he hadn't met my eyes since we had gotten in the truck.

"I did recognize the scent," he said slowly. I waited for him to tell us that it was one of his siblings, or a member of the Volturi. I wasn't prepared for what he said next. "It was Bella's scent."

* * *

A/N: As always, reviews are not required but are very much appreciated.


	15. Verdict

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made off this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

_Last time:_

_ "Did you pick up a scent?" Rosalie asked from her perch on the arm of the sofa._

_"Yes."_

_Alice, Emmett, and Jasper still hadn't said anything. Had one of them accidentally lost control? Is that why the tension was so thick is was palpable. Would we have to leave this place? Worse, would the wolves back in La Push hear about this and come after us?_

_"Well, spit it out," Rosalie replied, agitated. "Did you recognize it?"_

_Edward nodded. He looked like he was in pain._

_"Damn it, Edward, we can't all read minds."_

_Esme put a restraining hand on Rosalie's arm. She seemed to be a step ahead of her daughter._

_"Edward, you need to tell us, dear. Whatever happened. We can deal with it."_

_Edward took a deep breathe. It was only then that I realized he hadn't met my eyes since we had gotten in the truck._

_"I did recognize the scent," he said slowly. I waited for him to tell us that it was one of his siblings, or a member of the Volturi. I wasn't prepared for what he said next. "It was Bella's scent."_

Chapter 15

Verdict

I just stared at Edward in shock as the words sank in. I felt Carlisle, Esme, and Rosalie suddenly turn their gazes in my direction. I now understood why Emmett, Jasper, and Alice had been so quiet; they had smelled me at the crime scene too.

This wasn't possible. I'd thought about it in the library, but I hadn't acted on the vampire's desires. I had stayed where Edward had commanded; I didn't kill anyone!

"That can't be possible," I finally breathed, more to myself than anyone else.

"It's ok if you slipped, Bella." Carlisle sounded calm.

"I thought you were supposed to be watching her," Rosalie said to Emmett. Her voice was accusing. "How did she slip by all four of you?"

Edward looked at the floor guiltily. "It's my fault," he replied. "We saw something move outside and I told her to stay while I went to investigate. The others were on a different floor. I was stupid; I should have called one of the them up."

"Wait a minute." I shouted. They were still suffering under the misapprehension that I had murdered someone. "I didn't kill anyone."

No one looked like they believed me.

"Bella, we all smelled you there," Edward said softly.

"But I didn't leave the library," I insisted. Had I been human, tears of frustration would have been flowing, but my eyes were annoyingly dry. And red. If only they had turned gold already; I could use that as proof that I hadn't done anything wrong.

"Then how do you explain the scent?" Edward inquired. I knew he was just voicing what every member of his family was thinking.

I couldn't. And that just made it more frustrating. "I know I didn't kill anyone," I insisted. "After you left I went down the stacks and started reading. I swear, Edward. Please, you have to believe me." I stared into his amber eyes, begging him to see the innocence in mine. He pulled his gaze away too soon.

"She isn't lying," Jasper said suddenly. I almost hugged him, but the tone he had used held me back. There was something else implied. "At least, I'm not picking up any emotions associated with lying."

"You all know I can't lie to save my life," I replied moodily.

"When you were human," Emmett replied. "Maybe that got enhanced too when you became one of us."

I glared at him. Now was not the time to point that out.

"But enough to block off the emotions from Jasper?" I asked in a critical voice. The others didn't seem to have a response to that. They all knew I had shown no talent for that as a human.

"Alice, did you see me kill anyone?" I asked.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't." I could tell that it bothered her too. We both knew she should have seen any decision that I had made of that caliber. "But I smelled you all over the body."

And that was the damning piece of evidence: the proverbial smoking gun. That was the reason none of my family believed me when I told them I hadn't killed anyone.

I wanted to rip out my hair and scream in frustration.

"I don't know how to make you believe me," I said quietly. "But I won't confess to something I didn't do. I can't explain why you found my scent all over the body, but I know I didn't go anywhere near that security guard. Alice didn't see me, and Jasper says I'm not lying, which is at least some proof of my side of the story."

"What other possibilities are there?" Esme asked reasonably. It seemed like she might be starting to believe me.

"Could there be another vampire out there that smells just like me?" I asked. It seemed the only plausible alternative.

Edward shook his head instantly. "It's not possible. Even twins, like Reina and Sarita, have distinct scents."

"Mind reading and getting visions of the future isn't supposed to be possible either," I muttered.

"There might be another possibility," Jasper said slowly. Every head turned in his direction.

"That's interesting," Edward mused. "I never would have thought of that."

"What?" I demanded.

Edward looked at Jasper, letting him explain his thoughts.

"I said earlier that I couldn't detect any emotions associated with lying," Jasper started. "And Bella seems adamant of her innocence, but yet we have the problem of her scent. I agree with Edward, that it isn't likely that another vampire would coincidentally smell just like her. But Bella has always been very good at guarding her mind from unpleasant memories. What if she is experiencing a sort of psychologically induced amnesia for the event? If she didn't remember doing it, she wouldn't know she was lying, and that would explain the emotions."

My mouth dropped open in shock. It couldn't be possible, yet...what if Jasper was right? What if I had killed that man, but what remained of my human side was blocking the memory? I was starting to doubt myself. Maybe I had become a murderer. I clung to one fact.

"But how does that explain why Alice didn't see me. I still would have had to make a decision to kill him."

"Things have slipped through before," Jasper said lightly. Alice shot him a very dirty look. She didn't like being reminded of any of the holes in her visions. "Maybe it was so split second that Alice didn't pick up on it."

And my last defense was blown to pieces. I sank onto the floor and put my head between my legs. This couldn't be happening.

Edward sat down beside me and slid his arms around my waist.

"Are you angry at me?" I asked miserably.

"Of course not." I gave him a look that clearly said I didn't believe him.

"Then why wouldn't you look at me earlier?"

"Because I was angry at myself."

That hadn't been the answer I was expecting. "What? Why?"

"Because I left you alone. I made you a promise to try and keep you from doing anything regrettable, and I broke that. I might as well have just walked you into a full classroom and let you go at it. You had been showing so much promise; sometimes it's hard to remember just how young you really are."

His use of the past tense didn't escape my notice. 'You _had been_ showing so much promise' he had said. _Had been_. My progress had been halted, reversed. I was back at square one. There would be no more compliments about my self control, no more talking about possibly being able to attend class in person next fall. No shopping trips. And I was guessing my night time excursions into town would no longer be allowed.

I tried to feel guilt for something I knew I must have done. And yet, deep down inside, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was still innocent. Despite the evidence.

"Is there some way to make me remember?" I asked suddenly.

Edward looked at me like I was insane. "Why would you want to remember that?" he asked.

"Because I want to know for certain. If I can remember, I can feel guilty. If I can feel guilty, then that is motivation for never doing it again."

Edward looked up at his family. "That might work," he conceded to an unspoken thought.

"I really hate when you do that," I grumbled.

"Sorry."

"Carlisle, would you please explain?"

"If what Jasper hypothesized is true," Carlisle began, "and Bella is unconsciously blocking the unpleasant memory, then maybe we need to ask her what happened when she isn't in control of herself."

"In other words, you want the vampire to come out and play," I responded dryly.

He nodded.

"It's worth a try," Edward told me gently.

I had worked so hard on my self control, I wasn't sure if I could just let the vampire have full control. The last time that had happened was when I'd tried to kill Bridget, as far as I could remember, at least.

"And how do you propose we lure her out? Despite the accusations, I'm in total control right now and I don't think I can just drop the wall I've put up."

Jasper gave Edward a pointed look.

"Yes, human blood would work well, but how do you intend to get some without committing another murder?"

Edward was silent as Jasper thought his response. They both looked at Carlisle simultaneously.

"Could you steal some from the hospital's blood bank?" Edward asked him.

He nodded again.

"Great, now some poor human who needs a blood transfusion isn't going to get it because we stole the blood to turn me into a monster."

"If it makes you feel better, Bella, I'll steal an expired package," Carlisle said softly.

We had to wait through the day for Carlisle to get back from his shift at the hospital with the pilfered blood. I sat nervously with Edward the entire day, racking my brain for any memory of the crime I was suspected of. Nothing came to me; it was infuriating.

The murder didn't stay secret for long, once the media got hold of it. With four murders since the new year had started, Dartmouth was quickly earning a dangerous reputation. Of course, the media was having a field day. CNN was hosting specialists who debated on the likelihood of a Dartmouth serial killer; ABC questioned the way Dartmouth was spending all its tuition money if they couldn't keep students and employees safe; FOX interviewed alumni who lamented the way society was heading and painted rosy pictures of their years at the ivy league institution. CBS hosted overprotective parents who had pulled their students from the school after the first murder. The local news channels reported that police were still puzzled with the lack of any physical evidence at any of the scenes; there was talk they might bring in the FBI.

I was worried about an organization slightly more terrifying than the feds: the Volturi.

"With all the news coverage, do you think the Volturi might get involved?" I asked Edward, not bothering to hide my apprehension at the idea.

He looked back at me seriously. "I'm sure it hasn't escaped their attention, but as long as things calm down soon, I don't think we need to worry. Alice will be watching for any decision from them to intervene anyway, so we'll have plenty of warning."

"And what would we do, if Alice did see that? You don't think they would come after me, do you?"

"For one murder, no," he replied adamantly. A little too adamantly, perhaps. "The first three murders can't be pinned on you," he continued. "Most of us slip up at some point. As long as we are careful after this, you don't need to worry about the Volturi."

"I hope you're right," I replied, molding myself against his side. He put his arm around me and kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry, Bella. For ever allowing this to happen."

"Don't you dare blame yourself," I growled. "You didn't know this would happen. We still don't know that it even did happen."

Edward looked skeptical.

Carlisle got home just after ten o'clock. I felt like I was being brought back into a court room to hear the jury's decision; would I be found guilty or innocent?

"Can you handle this?" I asked Edward. He was refusing to leave my side, but I didn't want him to be uncomfortable around the blood.

"Of course I can." He sounded insulted by my question.

"Can _you_ handle this?" Alice asked Jasper, who was also insisting on staying so he could tell if I was lying or not.

He gave her a look similar to what Edward had given me. We all knew Jasper had the hardest time with blood, next to me of course.

"You aren't actually going to let me drink the blood, are you?" I asked Carlisle. The thought was slightly repulsive. I didn't want any human blood to touch my lips, regardless of whether or not the donor was alive or dead. Of course, depending on the outcome of this little experiment, I might find out that human blood had already passed my lips. I tried not to think about that.

"Not if you don't want me to," he responded.

Alice, Esme, Rosalie, and Emmett all went outside to avoid causing chaos when Carlisle released the blood. Alice would be watching to tell them what the verdict was.

Carlisle, Jasper, Edward, and I all gathered in the kitchen, seeing as it was the easiest place to clean up blood from.

"Are we ready?" Carlisle asked, removing the packet of red platelets from his interior blazer pocket. I saw Edward and Jasper stop breathing, stealing themselves against the temptation.

Carlisle put the packet on the stainless steel counter top and slit open the top swiftly. The congealing blood oozed across the counter, dripping onto the floor. The strong, rusty smell of it flooded my nostrils. The vampire was instantly in control; I lunged for the counter, but two sets of strong arms held me back.

A snarl ripped from my chest. The thing I wanted most was right there on the counter, barely a foot away.

"Let me go," I hissed, as I thrashed in their arms. I took a snap at Jasper's arm; he immediately yanked my face away by my ponytail. I snarled again.

"Don't hurt her," Edward growled.

"She tried to bite me!" Jasper snarled back.

If I could get those two to start a fight they might forget about me. I bared me teeth in Jasper's direction.

Carlisle was the only one out of my three captors who was still inhaling. The smell of the blood wasn't bothering him at all.

"You can have the blood," he said calmly, "but you need to tell us something first."

"Anything," I agreed hastily, my eyes never leaving the spreading spill. I was still straining against Edward's and Jasper's arms.

"Did you kill the security guard on Dartmouth campus early this morning?"

"No," I growled. "I haven't been allowed any human blood. That's why I want it so bad," I lunged forward again, but Jasper and Edward held me tight.

Carlisle looked at his newest son with a silent question on his face.

"She's telling the truth," he replied, using the air that had been left in his lungs.

I heard Edward sigh with relief. Carlisle started mopping up the spilled blood.

"No, you promised!" I growled, once more trying to break free of Edward and Jasper.

I watched helplessly as he bleached the counter, then set the towels and empty blood bag on fire. He threw open a window next, and the scent of blood was blown away with the rush of frigid night air. Edward and Jasper starting breathing again.

It took ten minutes for me to settle down. The vampire didn't liked being tricked, and the anger enabled her to hang onto control for longer. When I finally pushed her into the back of my mind, where she belonged, I turned to my family, who were now all gathered in the kitchen.

"I told you I didn't kill anyone," I said smugly.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you earlier," Edward replied, giving me a repentant kiss.

"We still have to explain her scent on the body, though," Jasper replied.

No one had any insights.

A dark mood fell across the Cullen household. While we were all pleased that I hadn't murdered anyone, except maybe Jasper who was still losing his bet, the idea of a blood thirsty vampire with almost the same scent as me worried us all.

So Jasper and Emmett decided to track her down. They took Alice and Rosalie with them to canvas the Dartmouth campus. They came home four hours later, frustrated.

"Nothing?" I asked, reading their expressions.

"We found some trails, but they all went cold," Jasper replied. "She must drive as well, because some just disappear in parking lots. Of course, it doesn't make it any easier that we've had the real Bella there; sometimes it's hard to tell if we are following the real thing."

"Do you think she knows she smells like me?" I inquired.

"If she ran across your scent from one of our visits, she might," Edward replied. He didn't sound very sure though.

"Hmm." Jasper had apparently never considered that. "Maybe that's what happened at the library. She found Bella's scent with ours, got curious, and followed us in. She may not have even meant to kill the guard; he may simply have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Or," I replied darkly as an unpleasant notion entered my mind, "she knows she smells like me and is killing on purpose in hopes that I'll get in trouble. Maybe she's trying to frame me."

Edward growled, angered by the very idea that someone would try to do such a thing.

"But what's the point in framing you?" Rosalie asked. "The humans aren't going to catch you. We're the only ones who might think it was you."

"Maybe she doesn't want us here," I suggested. "Maybe she thinks you'll take me someplace else if you think I'm killing people."

"There's one problem with that theory," Alice remarked. "If she had it out for you specifically, I would have _seen_ it."

"Others have gotten around your visions before when trying to get to me," I said softly. As expected, Alice hissed in my direction. She didn't like being reminded of Victoria and the newborns.

"But how would this vampire know about Alice's visions?" Edward reasoned. "Aside from the Volturi, no one is left alive who knows how it works."

"We don't know that absolutely," I fired back. "Maybe Victoria told someone else, someone who didn't accompany her and the newborns to Forks."

"And what are the odds that this somebody would smell exactly like you? About a zillion to one, I'd say," Alice retorted.

I couldn't deny that she had a point.

"I think you're just paranoid," Emmett said bluntly. "Besides, we're going to find whoever it is and put an end to it. Case closed."

But I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more sinister going on, even two days later. It didn't help that Jasper's nightly searches hadn't turned up anything yet. Edward had even accompanied them, leaving me in Esme's care, but nothing new was discovered.

"Maybe she's realized we're on to her and has left," Rosalie suggested after Jasper, Edward, and Emmett returned after another fruitless search.

"Or she knows we're on to her and is purposefully avoiding town to lull us into a false sense of security," I pondered.

"You read too many mystery novels," Emmett replied, laughing at me.

He wasn't laughing a week later when there was another attack.

Alice burst into our room after one in the morning. "Another student has been killed," she breathed.

"Did you finally see it?" I asked her.

She shook her head. "I've been watching the local police department, so that I'll know when they get any calls."

"Is it the same vampire?" Edward asked.

"I think so; I can only go on what the police know. A student was found dead in his dorm room. Again, it was the roommate who found the body. He had left the room to go take a shower, and when he came back ten minutes later, his roommate was dead, hunched over his computer desk. The door was still locked."

"Damn." Edward swore lightly.

"I know," Alice replied.

"What?" As usual, I was a step behind.

"She's becoming more bold. Making it harder for humans to rationalize what is happening. This is the sort of thing that would bring out the Volturi," Alice replied.

I gulped. Edward growled at his sister; I guessed he was angry at her for bringing up the Volturi.

Carlisle didn't want to jump to any conclusions until we were sure this was the same vampire who had killed the security guard, so he broke into the city morgue once again. He confirmed our fears; once more my scent was all over a murder victim.

"Why can't we catch her?" Edward growled that night. We were sitting in the living room with Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, and Alice.

"The trails always disappear," Jasper commiserated. "It's like she knows were are looking for her and she's leading us on a..." Jasper trailed off.

Edward met his gaze briefly.

"Like she's leading us where?" I prompted.

"She's been laying false trails," Edward returned. "God, how could we have been so blind? We've been parking in that same lot every time, and we always pick up a trail immediately, just as she intended." He brought a fist down on the coffee table, sending a splintering crack down the center of it. Furniture didn't survive long in a house full of frustrated vampires.

"Then let's go find her now," I insisted. "There will be a fresh trail from the dorm where that student was killed."

Edward shook his head. "The campus will be crawling with police; we can't risk being seen. We'll have to wait a few days."

I begrudgingly admitted that he had a point.

It wasn't until later, when we were alone in our room, that I insisted on another point. "I want to go with you the next time you try to track her," I said.

Edward gave me a wary look. Despite my innocence, he hadn't taken me out of the house except to hunt.

"I can help," I insisted. I had hated been left behind as a human, and nothing was going to hold me back now that I was as unbreakable as Edward. "You know I have a better sense of smell that you. You admitted that when I smelled Charlie on my clothes the day I woke up. Maybe I can pick up something you are missing."

"Bella, you're control still isn't as good as ours..."

"I've been very good lately, haven't I? And if the vampire has something to occupy herself with, like tracking another vampire, I don't think I'll have a problem."

"We'll be searching near the dorms, though. We've never taken you that near to humans before. I don't know what will happen."

"Please, Edward. I feel like something is after me, and for once, I can do something about it." I pushed out my lower lip and tried to pout.

Edward just rolled his eyes at me but then turned serious. "You can come, Bella. I just hope we won't regret it."

* * *

A/N: As promised, I'm back to posting. Reviews are lovely and make me happy, and the happier I am the more I write. So please help fill up my inbox with reviews.


	16. From Bad to Worse

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 16

From Bad to Worse

We waited a week before going out to track the mysterious vampire again. Edward drove, deliberately parking in a lot closer to the dorms in hopes of finding a real trail. Alice and Jasper accompanied us.

The moment I stepped out of the car, scents swirled around me. We had hunted the night before, so I didn't have much trouble forcing the vampire out of control. It was a little past three in the morning; the bars had closed for the night and most humans should be inside, in bed.

We ran through the dark campus, letting Edward lead in case there were an security guards or lost drunks around. The scent of humans was nearly intoxicating as we neared the dorms; my self control was dangerously near its limit. I was beginning to wonder if Edward had been right about it being too risky to bring me this close to humans.

Edward stopped suddenly. "There's a trail here."

Alice and Jasper inhaled and nodded in agreement.

I pulled in a lung full of air, tasting the scent. "You think _that_ smells like me?"

"It smells almost exactly like you," Jasper replied.

"No it doesn't." I crinkled my nose for effect. "Sure, on the top it smells a _little_ like me, but can't you smell what's underneath?"

Three heads shook, indicating they could not. I was getting impatient.

"It's a little more earthy, less sweet...oh come on, it's not like I'm imagining it."

It was probably of mark of how much he loved me, because Edward was the first to sink to his knees and practically press his nose to the sidewalk. He cocked his head to the side and looked at me in amazement. "I think I understand. There is something underneath."

"Oh sure, believe him," I growled as Alice and Jasper also bent to the ground. They both gave me apologetic looks when they caught the same scent I had.

"It's like someone is wearing Bella perfume," Alice mumbled.

Jasper shook his head at her.

"Actually, it's not a bad analogy," Edward agreed.

"So, what does this mean? And how would someone get Bella perfume, as you put it?" I asked. We still weren't any closer to catching the murderous, perfume wearing vampire, despite the new information.

"Maybe it's a talent," Edward replied softly.

That was a downright terrifying notion. "It doesn't seem likely that it would just be my scent then, would it?"

Edward nodded, one step ahead of me. "If she can disguise her scent to smell like you, she can probably smell like any of us, if she wished."

I saw Alice and Jasper share dark looks. If Edward was right, this could be very bad. She could potentially frame any of us.

We continued to follow the scent, when we heard a scream drift across the campus. It would have been too faint for a human in our position to hear, but each of us picked it up immediately. We halted our search.

"We should stay on this scent," Jasper insisted. "We don't know what that was about."

"But what if it's another attack? We might catch her in the act." I returned.

"If someone is screaming, it's likely the act is over," Edward replied darkly.

"We might still be able to catch her," I repeated.

The longer we stood there, procrastinating, the more likely she was to escape.

"We can always come back and pick up this trail," I continued as I gently tugged on Edward's arm.

"Ok. We'll check it out. Briefly." Edward took off in the direction we had heard the scream from, with the rest of us following closely behind.

We were heading toward the freshman dormitories, which were the farthest from the center of campus.

I smelled it first: fresh, human blood. It was floating on the wind, like the tantalizing aroma of carnival food, beckoning me closer. My already shaky self control snapped. Venom filled my mouth, in anticipation of a kill, so much that I had to swallow. With every breath, the scent got stronger. It didn't take me long to identify where it was coming from; the smell of blood flowed like a waterfall out of the second story window of one of the brick dormitories. Somewhere in my head, I knew this was wrong, but the burning in my throat was too much to ignore. It smelled so much better than animal blood, thousands of times better.

The others caught the scent then, and skidded to a halt, but I didn't stop. My mind was on one track; I needed what was in that room.

"Stop her," I heard Edward yell. I could hear his feet pounding on the soft grass as he chased after me. If I could just stay ahead of him until I got through that window.

"Alice, help me," he growled.

"I can't," I heard her shriek. She sounded panicked. Surely she had seen what I was going to do. I risked a peek over my shoulder. She was wrestling with Jasper; I wasn't the only one who wanted the blood.

Edward caught up with me about twenty feet from the dormitory. A metallic shriek ripped the air as he tackled me, throwing us both onto the ground with enough force to gouge out a divot of grass the size of my body.

"Bella, think about what you are doing." He was trying to pin me to the ground, but I was still stronger than him. Every time he got one limb pinned, I managed to free another. My breathing increased, bringing me more of the blood tainted air with every inhalation.

"Bella, stop breathing," he ordered.

I didn't want to stop breathing; I wanted the blood.

I stopped moving for a second, hoping Edward would take that as a surrender. I felt his fingers relax around my wrists as the anxiety left his face. At that moment, I summoned every ounce of strength I had to throw him off. He went airborne, but I didn't wait to see how far away he would land; it wouldn't hurt him, I'd been careful of that. I jumped for the open window, where the blood smell was strongest, and made it onto the ledge easily. The screen had already been knocked out, and was lying inside the room.

The source of the blood was immediately clear; unfortunately the girl was already dead. It looked as though her throat had been slashed open. A single pool of crimson blood, already congealing, dripped off the bed and onto the carpeted floor. I could hear every drop, a dull thud followed by a minuscule splash. I knew the human body should contain more than just this pool; the neck wound was simply a means to hide the bite marks. Beyond the blood, I could smell our mystery vampire. Now that I knew what to look for, her scent was obvious underneath her Bella perfume. Well, I thought wryly, if she was going to frame me, I might as well get some benefit from it.

One girl was dead; her roommate was not. The sound of a frantic heartbeat was coming from the closet; she might as well have been beating a drum. I could hear her ragged breathing, as she tried to control her sobs. She had been the one who had screamed; her roommate probably hadn't even seen it coming.

I wrenched open the veneered door. The girl was huddled inside, trying to hide in the far corner under a pile of clothing. She let out another scream when she saw me, her eyes rolling wildly. My eyes immediately moved to her neck, where I could see her veins pulse with every heartbeat. It was almost too easy.

"No!" Edward growled, his arms wrapping around me from behind, pinning my arms to my sides. He spun me toward the window. "Please don't make me hurt you," he begged.

Alice popped through the window then, and the girl in the closet whimpered. With both their arms around me, I knew I wouldn't be able to throw them off again. I was dragged to the window and thrown out, with the siblings right behind me. I snarled as they pulled me away from the building.

Jasper was waiting outside, carefully not breathing. A calming wave crashed over me once I was near him, and the blood lust started to fade. It was enough to make me clamp my mouth shut and stop inhaling, but I wasn't back in total control until we were in the Volvo.

I couldn't see anything except the face of the terrified girl in the closet, despite the scenery that was flying by the window. She had seen Edward and I; she saw us both clearly enough to give a description to police. We were going to have to leave, I just knew it.

"This is bad, isn't it?" I whispered. I was siting in the backseat, stuffed between Alice and Jasper, just in case.

"Yes, Bella. This is bad," Edward responded without taking his eyes from the road. He sounded angry: angry at me.

I let my head fall back against the head rest. No one said another word the rest of the way home.

"We have a problem," Edward said, no louder than someone announcing the time of day. He didn't need to shout, Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme heard him easily. All four dashed into the living room.

Before Edward could say a word, I blurted out my confession. "We were seen," I moaned, "and it's my fault."

"You were what?" Rosalie stuttered. I had apparently caught her off guard. "How could you be seen?"

"I'm sorry. I lost control. The smell of the blood..."

"Bella, what did you do?" Emmett interrupted. He had mistaken my statement as a confession of murder.

"She didn't hurt anyone," Edward interrupted, reading his brother's thoughts. "But there was another murder on campus. Bella smelled the blood and couldn't help herself, she climbed into the room, looking for the source. I stopped her before she got to the roommate, but the girl did see us. But that's not the problem."

"It isn't?" Now I was confused. Our faces were going to be all over the news, and it wasn't a problem? Every police officer in the country would probably be wired an artist's rendition of myself and Edward. At least the girl hadn't been able to see Alice clearly. My stomach clenched painfully as I thought of Charlie; what would he do when he saw two faces that looked so much like his daughter and son-in-law?

"It was too dark in the room for human eyes to see properly. And the girl was too terrified to remember details," he responded.

"So then why do we have a problem, other than the fact that there's another dead co-ed?" I prompted.

"I heard her thoughts, as I pulled you out, Bella. She thought the murderer had come back to get her. I saw what she had seen earlier; she couldn't help but think it. Despite the darkness of her memory, I saw enough to recognize facial features. If our mystery vampire doesn't look exactly like you Bella, then she looks damn similar. That's our problem."

I stopped inhaling out of shock. The rest of my family had turned into statues as well, frozen where they had been standing at the news. I realized that Edward's anger in the car hadn't been directed at me, but at this Bella look-and-smell-a-like.

Wasn't it bad enough that she smelled like me? Now she had to look like me too? This ended any doubt that the smell was a coincidence. No matter what Alice insisted about her visions, _I _was the target. There could be no other option.

"Why? Why me?" I finally breathed. I was staring at Edward, though I wasn't really expecting him to have an answer.

Edward pulled me into his arms in an instant. "Don't worry," he mumbled into my hair, planting kisses on my forehead.

Don't worry? There was a murderous Bella look-a-like stalking campus and I wasn't supposed to worry?

"We're going to catch whoever is responsible," Jasper added, surely sensing my anxiety. He seemed confident. Alice nodded in agreement, even though I was sure she was wracking her brain for a vision to explain all this.

I wanted to believe him fully, to agree with Edward when he said everything was going to be alright, but I knew my luck too well. It seemed that even immortality didn't make me immune from the black cloud that seemed to hang over my existence. If it wasn't vampires trying to ruin my human life, it was vampires trying to ruin my immortal one. I wanted to punch something, preferably the Bella look-a-like who was trying to get me framed. I hoped Jasper was right about finding her, because I personally wanted to be the one who ripped her limbs off.

And suddenly that desire left me, replaced by a happy calm.

I glared over at Jasper, who shrunk back from the look slightly. "Sorry, you seemed tense." The happy calm faded slightly as Jasper tuned it down. I didn't particularly like my emotions being meddled with unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Gee, Jasper, why might that be?"

"I think she could still use another dose," Emmett mumbled.

"I can't cure sarcasm," Jasper replied with a grin.

Why couldn't any of them take this seriously? Did they not have the same feeling of dread that I did? That annoyingly clingy sensation that crept into my mind at times like these, whispering paranoid thoughts of conspiracies and sinister plots.

No, I thought, probably not. Emmett just wanted a good fight. Alice was sure that any real danger would be evident in her visions. Jasper seemed to be enjoying the hunt, even if it was taking longer than he first thought. They all had perfect faith that everything would turn out fine.

Was it me who was messed up, then? Was I just incapable of hope? The paranoid feeling told me that I was right, but then again, I'd narrowly escaped disaster more than a few times as a human. Shouldn't that be enough to inspire hope? Instead I just felt like my luck was sand pouring through the curve in an hourglass, with no conceivable way of flipping it over.

"I want to go to our room," I told Edward quietly. Not that it mattered, the others could hear me like I'd shouted it.

He acquiesced, of course. Edward would do anything for me, even now that I was far less breakable than before.

"Will you tell me what you are thinking?" he whispered once we were inside our personal haven.

I collapsed onto our sofa, barely caring that it groaned in protest. I knew I should be more careful with the furniture. I wished I felt tired, exhausted. How nice it would be to just sleep for a few hours. I'd even trade a few nightmares for the other minutes of peaceful oblivion.

"You were right, as usual," I mumbled.

He gave me a confused look.

"About the not sleeping thing. I do wish I could sleep. It would be nice to just forget about everything that is happening, even if I had to deal with a few nightmares. Instead, I'm trapped in a perpetually energized body, and a brain that can think about so much more than my human brain could have even grasped. So much time to worry."

Edward opened his mouth but I cut him off. "Do not tell me everything will be ok. You don't know that. Hell, Alice doesn't even know that."

My tone ensured he didn't argue. He just sat down beside me and encircled me with his arms. I leaned back into his chest, listening to his even breaths.

"Do you want to go running?" he asked after half an hour. "I find it can be a good distraction."

Distractions were good. I nodded in response and hopped nimbly to my feet. Running was a good release, and if I happened to stumble upon some deer, or a bear, or mountain lion, well... hunting didn't seem like such a bad distraction either. My throat still burned painfully from being in such close proximity to human blood.

The cold air whipping past my face was pleasant as we ran. It felt good to just let loose, stretch my legs, and think about nothing. I could just ignore scents, since there was no purpose to our outing except to just run, which was a welcome break from hunting and tracking.

I lost all concept of time as we ran, just enjoying Edward's company and the never ending forest. I knew we were traveling in a northerly direction, but beyond that I didn't really care where we went or how long we took. I was fairly surprised when I caught the sound of crashing waves and sea birds through the trees. I wondered when we had turned east.

The sound of the ocean grew louder as we rushed toward it. Edward didn't seem nearly as surprised as I did, but then again, he knew the area much better than me; he and his family had lived in this area once before. The forest began to break up, and the scent of sea air filled my nostrils. We finally halted at the edge of a rocky beach. We had been running for almost three hours, but the sun was only just peeking over the horizon.

"Do you know where we are?" I asked Edward as I leaned against a tree, looking out over the gorgeous shoreline. I was guessing Maine, but I wasn't sure.

"I think that's the Saint Lawrence Seaway," he murmured in response. He sounded slightly amused.

"Are you telling me we ran to Canada?"

"You ran to Canada," he teased. "I was just following you."

"You might have warned me we were crossing international borders," I replied, teasing as well.

We stayed in the shadows of the forest edge as the sun rose, shimmering off the water and the smooth rocks that littered the beach.

"I don't suppose you've changed your mind about hunting sharks?" Edward asked conversationally. I gave him an appraising look; it was hard to tell if he was joking or not.

"I think I'll stick with four-legged prey, thanks."

As a sail appeared in the distance, we knew it was time for us to leave. The sun was already encroaching on our hiding spot, and as the sun rose higher, we knew the chance of running into humans increased exponentially. The sailboat was likely the first of many.

We melted back into the forest, jogging at first instead of running full out. Edward had been right; running was a welcome distraction and a good way to release the stress, but every step back just served to remind me of the problems we still had to face.

Half way home, we started encountering scents that hadn't been there when we left. Emmett and Jasper had been through this area, over top of our earlier trail. Emmett might have been hunting, but it didn't make sense that Jasper, who had also hunted just before our disastrous trip to Dartmouth, would be out with him. Plus, they seemed to have followed our trail, rather than blaze their own.

There was only one logical explanation as to why Emmett and Jasper would have followed our trail so far: something was wrong. Neither of us had thought to bring our cell phones, not that we would have had any reception. Edward was too far away to hear anyone's thoughts. So, for lack of a better method, they'd sent someone after us. Of course, no one expected us to go so far.

Our pace doubled as Edward reached the same conclusion as I had. I knew he was probably stretching his talent to its maximum, hoping to pick up an errant thought from his family as soon as possible. That was how I knew we must be only a few miles from home, because Edward suddenly gasped, and then growled.

"What?" I asked instantly, never breaking my stride.

He didn't reply, he just ran faster. I was struggling to keep up, now, pushing my body to it's limit. "Edward, slow down!"

He heard me, because he did slow his pace just enough so that I could catch up, but still didn't explain what the emergency was. The scents of our family were growing stronger now, both old and new. We had crossed into land that we all hunted on and passed through frequently. We were nearly home.

Alice must have _seen_ us coming, because our entire family met us just outside the mansion.

"When?" was the first word out of Edward's mouth.

"Two days," Alice replied instantly.

"We can't let them get to Dartmouth and form their own conclusions," Edward continued, with a horrified glance at me.

"We could head them off. Talk to them first," Jasper replied. "If we tell them what we've encountered, they will know what to look for. We won't need to worry about wrong conclusions then."

"Will it work?" Edward asked Alice impatiently.

My mind was mulling over their words, trying to make sense of the conversation.

"I can't see their decision, but they will meet us, at least, I think so. It's a little cloudy still, like there's a decision that still hasn't been made."

"What other options do we have?" Carlisle said quietly to Edward. "If you take Bella and run, it will just make them more suspicious."

Edward nodded. "I know. Hopefully Alice is right, and they'll listen to us."

"Who will listen to us?" I finally managed to ask. My paranoid brain had already come to an answer, but I had to hear it from him.

"The Volturi have decided to step in and investigate the murders on campus," Edward replied.

* * *

A/N: Reviews make me happy!

I've reached the point where I've run out of pretyped chapters, so updates will take a little longer, since I need to type the new chapters. Hopefully, there will be no more than a week between each new update. Only a few chapters left!


	17. The Best Laid Plans

A/N: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement was intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 17

The Best Laid Plans...

So my paranoid brain hadn't been too far off. The Volturi were getting involved. It only took me a second to realize how serious the situation was, and how imperative it was that we head them off before they reached Dartmouth. Our scents were all over the campus, and my scent in particular was woven into several crime scenes. If my own family hadn't been able to discern my smell from that of the impostor, what hope did I have that the Volturi would be able to do so? As Edward had said, we needed to prevent them from jumping to the logical, yet incorrect conclusion that _I_ was the murderer. I shuddered as I thought what that particular conclusion would mean. My mind flashed back to the last seconds of Bree's existence, except that it was my face now, instead of hers.

"It's going to be hard to convince Jane," I said softly, finally over my shock enough to form words. "She has it out for me."

To my surprise, Alice grinned at me. "Not a problem," she trilled. "Jane isn't coming. I only saw Alec, Demetri, Felix, and two others who I don't know."

I stared at her, once more shocked into silence. No Jane? It didn't make any sense. "Why wouldn't they send Jane?" I asked.

"She might simply be off on another mission for them," Edward responded, sounding unconcerned. "Or perhaps Aro feels threatened from another direction, and doesn't want to send all his best fighters away."

His words comforted me slightly. "So, as long as we meet them before they get to town, there is nothing to worry about?"

Edward nodded. Carlisle gave me a reassuring smile. "They'll probably have this mess mopped up within a week. It's their job, after all." I got the distinct impression that Carlisle was not enjoying our involvement in all this; he clearly felt that it should be the Volturi tracking down our mystery vampire, not us.

"So who is going to meet the guard?" Emmett asked, excitement creeping into his voice. I guessed he was hoping there would be a minor skirmish, rather than just all talk.

"Alice and I should go, since we have the scent of our Bella impersonator," Jasper replied, thinking strategically now. "And Edward, too, so we will know what they are thinking."

"If Edward if going, then so am I," I chimed.

Jasper gave me a wary look, then turned to meet Edward's gaze. I saw them both nod, like they have come to a silent decision.

"Bella, I think it would be best if you stayed here," Edward told me gently.

I couldn't help but feel irritated at the notion. "I'm going wherever you are," I repeated. "I'm no longer weak and breakable; I won't be left behind anymore."

Edward sighed, like he had expected my stubbornness. He seemed to give Jasper an 'I told you so' sort of look. "Bella, don't look at it like that. I know you are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself now, but we don't know if the Volturi are going to listen. I don't want them to have the opportunity to take you into custody just in case they feel we are lying."

"The Volturi take people into custody?"

I saw him flinch. It was only a quarter of a second of movement before it was gone, and then his face was a calm mask again, but I knew what it meant. The Volturi _didn't_ take people into custody; they tended to act first, ask questions later.

"Would they destroy me straight out, or just tear me into little pieces and, if found innocent, let you reassemble me?" I asked dryly. Every face in the room flinched this time.

Edward gave me a pleading look. It would kill him to see anything like that happen to me. Literally. I knew he would die before they touched me, and it was a terrifying truth.

"I'll stay here, then," I conceded, "with whoever else decides to stay behind."

In the end, it was decided that Esme and Rosalie would stay with me, while the others went to explain our complicated situation to the guard. I wished we could connect our minds like the werewolves, so that I could at least know what was going on. It would be the longest few hours of my existence waiting for Edward and the rest of my family to return.

I still had two days to stew over our predicament before I would know if the Volturi's guard would listen or not. Two very long days. Dartmouth canceled classes after the latest murder, and there were rumors that the entire campus was going to shut down for the rest of the semester. Apparently, administrators, parents, and students were beginning to feel the safest place for the co-eds was at home, with their families.

Of course, I knew that even if the students left, my tormentor would not. She could just as easily break into homes as dorm rooms. It wouldn't end until she was caught and destroyed; I wondered how many more human lives would be taken before that happened. Hopefully Carlisle was right and the Volturi's involvement would bring a quick end to this mess.

Alice's vision was still a little cloudy, but she was fairly certain that the Volturi's guard was coming from the south. Two days after Alice's initial vision, I sat in a miserable ball on the living room sofa as I watched Edward, Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Carlisle preparing to leave. They had it timed so that they would intercept the Italian vampires about five miles south of Hanover. At least, that was the plan.

Edward kissed me fiercely, and I couldn't help but to wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him closer for a second.

"I'll be back before you know it," he whispered as he pulled away. I let my fingers travel down his arm as he walked away, keeping contact with him as long as possible. Across the room, Rosalie and Emmett were locked in a passionate embrace. Carlisle was holding Esme softly, and I heard her whisper "be safe." There was more danger in this mission than they were letting on.

Alice ushered them out the door, impatient that they might be late if they dawdled. I listened to their footsteps on the wooden porch and the crunch of frost as they stepped onto the frigid lawn. Alice was the last to leave the house, and as I followed her footsteps I was surprised to hear the sharp crack of splintering wood, like someone's foot had gone through a floor board.

I sprinted to the door and wrenched it open, half a second before Esme and Rosalie. Alice was still on the porch, swaying slightly. She was gripping the railing that circled the porch so hard that her fingers dug into it like it was nothing more than Play Dough.

"Alice?" Esme breathed, stepping out to put a hand on Alice's shoulder.

The others, already in the yard, turned to see what had happened. Jasper was at Alice's side so quickly that even I had a hard time following his movement.

My eyes sought Edward's. He was still standing in the yard, staring at Alice with horror written on his face.

"No." I couldn't hear the word; he had only mouthed it.

"Alice, snap out of it," Jasper ordered, pulling her into his arms.

"What's going on? What did she see?" Rosalie inquired, pushing past Esme and me to stand near Emmett. She was clearly concerned, but Edward didn't seem to be able to speak any more than Alice could.

Finally, after a few more seconds, though it felt like hours, Alice blinked slowly. Her face remained glum, and she stared up at Jasper with the same dead look in her eyes.

"Jane," was all she said.

I didn't understand. What did Jane have to do with anything, she wasn't even with the guard?

Edward looked up at me, and the scene of grief made me take a step back. He might as well be staring at my body, or more accurately, my ashes.

Carlisle took charge. "One of you need to tell us what is going on," he said firmly, yet still kindly, to Edward and Alice. "What has changed? And what does Jane have to do with it?"

"Everything," Alice whispered. I wasn't sure which question she was answering.

"Jane wasn't sent with the others, because she wasn't in Italy when the order came down," Edward explained, his fist clenched tightly at his sides. "She must have been somewhere in North America, because she's just met up with the others. She's already been in Hanover and Dartmouth, she's already looked at the evidence for herself. She found the scent trails, and she recognized the scent, just like us. She's just told the guard that Bella is the murderer."

His words bounced around the inside of my head, echoing over and over again.

They were coming for me.

They thought I had broken their laws and brought too much attention from humans. It was effectively a death sentence.

"When?" was all I was able to croak. They weren't far from Dartmouth; I had a few hours, at the most.

"I don't know," Alice replied, finally coming out of her stupor. "The news took them by surprise. Despite Jane's urgings, they have decided to contact Aro, Marcus, and Caius before proceeding. They know that coming after you means coming after all of us. That wouldn't bother them normally, but Aro is still rather fond of Carlisle."

"And they don't want to tick off their boss," I finished gloomily. How much time did that buy me? I had a hard time envisioned Demetri whipping out a Blackberry and speed dialing Aro. Would they have to send someone back? Did they have a more efficient means of communication?

"Well, they did get one thing right," Emmett grunted. "If they mess with one of us, they mess with all of us."

It took me a second to realize what he meant; what Alice had meant. The Cullens weren't going to give me up without a fight. A fight that we couldn't win. A memory flickered to life in my mind. It seemed like such a long time ago that I had stood with the Cullens in that clearing in Forks, negotiating with the werewolves. Sam had suggested fighting the Volturi so that I could stay human, but Edward had assured him that a battle would end badly, even with the help of the wolves. It was just the eight of us now, what chance did we have?

"But we can't win," I stated bluntly. "You said so, back in Forks..." I stuttered into silence, as I remembered exactly how Edward had worded it. _'There would be heavy casualties and little chance of victory.'_ I couldn't lose anyone in my family, not on my account.

"We're not going to just hand you over," Edward replied adamantly.

So he had resigned himself to a battle as well. To me, it was little more than assisted suicide. Of course, maybe that's what Edward hoped. If I was going to be destroyed, so was he.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves," cautioned Carlisle. "We still haven't ruled out talking as a means of moderation. If we show them that Jane was misinformed we may be able to avoid violence."

"Good luck with that," Emmett muttered. "I'm sure Jane takes constructive criticism very well."

"Then let's go," Edward replied, ignoring Emmett. "The sooner we reach them, the sooner we'll know if talking with help or not."

Jasper looked over and met Edward's eyes.

"You really think she'd do that?"

Jasper nodded. Edward sighed.

"Jasper's brought up a good point. If Jane has been to Hanover and Dartmouth and smelled Bella, then she's probably picked up our scents too. Jasper thinks she might try to implicate us along with Bella, especially if we show up claiming innocence with an absurd story about a Bella look-and-smell-a-like."

"So you're saying those of us who have been to Dartmouth with Bella over the last few months shouldn't go?" Emmett asked. This meant he was going to be left out of the party, and I was sure he hated the thought.

"That leaves just Carlisle and Esme," Rosalie hissed. "You can't expect them to go alone."

Alice shook her head. "I don't see any trouble if Carlisle and Esme go by themselves. I think Jasper is right. There is a greater chance for an escalation of the conflict if more of us go."

Alice's declaration ended the discussion. Carlisle and Esme ran into the woods, wanting to waste no time in trying to resolve the situation. I stood helplessly outside the house, wondering if they would be alright and if they could really change the Volturi's mind.

No one seemed to want to go back into the house. A light drizzle began to fall, freezing as it hit the earth, but I barely noticed. Edward paced with me as I walked aimlessly around the yard, waiting for Alice to see a decision or for Carlisle and Esme to return. Rosalie and Emmett sat motionless on the steps to the porch, just underneath the eaves so they didn't get rained on. Jasper was absentmindedly pressing wood putty into the holes Alice's fingers had made in the porch railing, while Alice leaned against the painted siding, looking impatient.

If Edward hadn't stopped walking, I probably wouldn't have noticed that something had happened. I wheeled around and followed his gaze to Alice, who was now rubbing her temples.

"What did she see?" I pestered, knowing Edward had already seen her thoughts.

"Carlisle and Esme are on their way back," he replied.

While that was wonderful news, I had been hoping for something me substantial. "But what about the Volturi? Have they changed their minds?"

Edward shook his head. "They listened, but no decision has been made. Carlisle will tell us exactly what happened when he arrives." He refused to say anything else.

The news that Carlisle and Esme were on their way home seemed to help ease the tension. Rosalie rose gracefully to her feet, pulling Emmett up with her, and glided inside. Alice and Jasper followed, with Edward and I closely behind. Edward and I were soaked. The sleet had frozen in my hair and on my clothes. Jasper lit the fireplace in the living room and I stood near it, letting it dry me slowly. The radiating heat felt pleasant, though I hadn't felt cold, even covered in ice.

I moved to sit next to Edward on the sofa when the sound of footfalls in the forest met my ears. I tried to appear patient as Esme and Carlisle entered the house, shaking water and ice off their clothes before moving into the room where we waited.

"What happened?" I demanded before a full second could pass.

If either took offense at my bluntness, they didn't show it.

"Demetri was very welcoming," Esme replied. "He seemed to be willing to listen, though I think he was suspicious of our story."

I couldn't fault him for that. It all seemed at little fantastical, even to me. How was it that someone looked and smelled just like me. Was it really a gift, as Edward had guessed? And how do we prove that, without living...er, existing, proof.

"And Jane?" Edward pried.

"A little upset that we questioned her story, to say the least," Carlisle responded. I saw Esme grimace at the words, but immediately hid the expression. Edward snarled at whatever he saw in their thoughts. "Of course she insinuated that we were lying to protect Bella. She's still angry that Demetri decided to contact their masters before proceeding."

"So they haven't made contact yet?" I inquired.

"No," Carlisle replied. "They sent Octavian, one of the guards Alice didn't know, back to take the message. They don't expect him to return for two days."

So I had at least two days. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. We might be able to develop a plan, or I could just worry for forty-eight hours.

"So are they going to search for evidence while they wait?" Jasper asked.

Esme shook her head. "We aren't sure, but they already had some. Jane brought them a piece of curtain from the last crime scene."

"Damn." I looked over at Edward curiously. "We all touched that curtain when we came through the window," he elaborated. "It will have your real scent on it, mine, and Alice's. It will be hard to convince them that we stumbled upon the scene by accident and that you didn't kill the girl."

"The rain won't help either," Emmett added. "It'll wash away the older scents. So even if they go to Dartmouth, they might not find anything contradictory to Jane's story."

"It's too bad Aro didn't accompany them," Edward mused. "I simply could have touched him and he would know the truth."

I gasped as the words sunk in. "That's it!" I shrieked, drawing stares. "Don't you see? We need to send someone after Octavian to show Aro the truth."

The silence was imposing. It was like I had spoken using the wrong frequency or something, and no one had understood me.

Three more seconds passed.

"Well, why aren't we doing that?" I demanded. This seemed like the out we needed.

"Bella, Octavian has more than half a day start on us," Alice said gently.

"Ok, and?"

"We wouldn't get there in time," Edward mumbled. "It's a good idea, Bella, but it won't work. Octavian will get there, get his orders, and be on his way back by the time one of us got in to see Aro. Even if Aro changed his mind, he would have to send someone else to relay the new orders, and by that time..." he trailed off, but I knew what he was thinking.

It would be too late. My family will defend me from them, and we will all be dead. Everyone except whoever we sent to Aro. That thought was worse than all of us dying. Could any of us survive if all the others were gone? I wasn't sure if I could survive if just one of my family members died.

"So we are doomed, then," I stated. "There is no hope."

"There is hope," Esme insisted, with a slight reprimand in her voice at my attitude. "We don't know yet what Aro will decide."

Jasper was nodding along with Esme's voice. "We have two days to make a plan. And I don't think Bella's idea about sending one of us to Aro is out of the question. Half a day head start isn't that much. If we can hold them off long enough here...then maybe someone can get there and get back in time."

"We don't know that Aro will even side with us," Rosalie pointed out.

"If we don't send anyone, he'll never side with us," Jasper responded.

"Can you see anything, Alice?" asked Carlisle. "Do any of these notions appear to help?"

"Too many other decisions have to be made," Alice replied softly. "I can't see what Aro or the others will decide."

"So we're flying blind," Emmett noted. "Then I say we go with Jasper's plan. Let's send someone to Aro and the rest of us can try to hold the guard off for a few hours."

"But how do we hold them off? What powers are we up against? I know what Jane can do, but what about Alec and the others?" It still seemed hopeless. The Volturi had never been defeated in their centuries of experience. What chance did eight vampires have against them?

"Alec is our biggest problem," Edward conceded. "While Jane can only cause us pain one person at a time, Alec can affect all our minds at the same instant. But instead of causing pain, he causes hate. He could make us all turn on each other with just a thought."

I let it soak in for a second. I had thought Jane was formidable; she appeared to be nothing compared to her brother.

"You said he affects the mind, though, so I'd likely to be immune?" I finally asked.

"Probably," Edward replied with a grimace, "but it wouldn't stop the rest of us from being convinced we wanted to kill you." It seemed it caused him pain to even think about it.

So Alec needed to be our first target. How well would the others protect him? Or would they leave him vulnerable while they tried to pick us off in our confused state? If I was going to be the only one not thrust into a blood lust for my family, then I would have to be the one to take him out. After that, we could deal with the others together.

"Well, Alice, it looks like you will get to teach me how to fight, if I'm going to be the only one not incapacitated by homicidal thoughts."

Edward looked sickened by the thought. "Bella, two days isn't enough to teach you how to fight. And even someone with Jasper's experience might have a hard time against Alec; he's got hundreds of years more experience."

"Well, maybe I'll distract him long enough to break his hold on the rest of you," I shot back. "What else will you have me do, Edward? Stand around and watch you rip apart your family?"

"Of course not," he said, shocked at my suggestion. "We don't have to physically battle them to hold them off."

I raised a stony eyebrow in his direction. Edward looked at Jasper and received a nod of permission.

"You could run," he said simply. "Demetri can't track you."

"You want me to leave?" I stuttered.

"Just long enough for Aro to see the truth and send someone with orders to stand down."

"And while you do what? They aren't going to think I left of my own accord. I'm sure Jane enjoys torturing people for information. Do you remember what she did to Bree? Am I supposed to go hide like a scared child somewhere while I know my family is being tortured for information about me, maybe worse. The Volturi aren't stupid; they know my weakness is you. All they have to do is threaten you Edward, and I'll march straight back and turn myself in. I'm not running; I'm not going anywhere you aren't. I'm finally strong enough to help, and you still want me to hide. I'm done hiding, Edward."

I heard his familiar sigh of exasperation, but I knew I had won this argument.

"While it's important to make a plan for how we are going to hold off the guard, we really need to decide who is going to Italy," Alice interrupted. "Every second allows Octavian that much more of a head start."

"I'll go, gladly," volunteered Carlisle. "Aro will be more likely to greet me warmly, given the circumstances."

"That's true," Edward replied, "but you have only heard the evidence second hand. I think it needs to be someone who actually smelled the scent of our mystery killer. Someone who saw that Bella didn't kill anyone and was simply following a fresh blood trail. It has to be me, Jasper, or Alice."

"Or me," I added.

"You couldn't handle the flight," Jasper replied instantly.

"And you'd never get to Aro," Edward added. "Not after Octavian gets there."

I looked at our three candidates. I didn't think we could afford to lose any of them.

"I'll go," Jasper volunteered. "You'll need Alice's visions and Edward's mind reading."

"We need you for strategy," Edward retorted. "I'll go."

I couldn't help my shocked expression.

"No, it should be me," Jasper argued. "There isn't much strategy that can be used in this case, not with the talents we're up against. Bella, once again, had the best idea. If Alec tries to use his gift, she'll need to distract him. After he's taken down, go for Jane, and then Demetri. The others are all brawn, but they don't pose any other threats."

"We could certainly use your fighting skills," Alice said very softly. I knew how she must feel; panic had been my only intelligible emotion when Edward had volunteered to go.

"My fighting skills won't do anything if Aro doesn't halt the advance," Jasper replied just as quietly. "And Edward is right; it has to be one of us four to show him what has really been going on. Plus, my movement will be less likely to arouse Demetri's suspicions. He expects Bella to be where Edward is. If Edward leaves he might think he and Bella are trying to escape, and call an attack before Octavian returns."

Alice looked defeated, and I knew why. Jasper was very logical, and he was correct in his assessment of the situation. With our current options, he was the best choice to go.

"Well, then you'd better get going," she said quickly, forcing a smile on her pixie-like face.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," he replied, giving Alice a look that conveyed love and hope, rather than the sadness and regret I was sure they were both feeling. They touched hands briefly, and that was their only good-bye. Jasper sprinted out the door, toward the garage. A few seconds later an engine revved to life and a car careened down the driveway, leaving the tinkling sound of pebbles falling back to earth in its wake.

* * *

A/N: I know, I broke my own 'one week' update rule. I just had a very busy week with both work and my personal life and I just couldn't find the time to type. Hopefully the wait was worth it. Leave me a review and let me know. Only two or three chapters left!


	18. Sacrifice

A/N: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 18

Sacrifice

It wasn't more than a minute after Jasper left that I realized he had been using his gift to make us all feel calmer about the situation. In his absence, the tension mounted quickly, and each of us was left to wonder what the next two days would bring. It didn't help when Jasper called from the airport to let us know he had to wait an hour for the next available flight to Europe.

While I wanted nothing more than to just sit with Edward and cherish what time we might have left together, I knew no time could be wasted in such pursuits. I had two days to learn how to fight.

Despite being separated from her love, Alice dove into my training with enthusiasm. Though maybe, like me, she was hoping it would take her mind off things.

"Remember, they know you are a newborn, so they'll expect you to attack directly. If you can attack from any direction other than head on, it'll give you an element of surprise," Alice instructed as I faced her on the back lawn. The sun had set, leaving a cloudy, moonless night that drenched the yard in shades of gray.

"Try to go in low, and leap upward toward their throat," Edward added. "But remember to protect your own neck."

Each tid bit was filed away meticulously in my brain, but at the same time, I knew that nothing could make up for good old fashioned practice; I was going up against vampires with several hundred years of experience under their belts.

Sparing with Alice did nothing except frustrate me further. She tried not to use her visions so that I might actually attack her, but her instincts were just too strong, and she always seemed to know when to move. Edward, since he couldn't read my mind, was a fairer fight, but I knew he wasn't really trying. It went against the very grain of his nature to harm me.

"Maybe we're going about this the wrong way," I suggested as I rested in between matches. My body felt fine, but my brain felt slightly overloaded as I tried to remember every vampire fight I'd ever seen and all the information I was being fed. "Maybe you should be showing me the best way to destroy Alec, since he'll be my target. It has to be easier than trying to train me for any opponent."

Edward shook his head. "And what happens if someone steps between you and Alec?" He hesitated, as if he were going to add something else, but then changed his mind and fell silent. I could guess what he was thinking though. What if one of my own family members attacked me? The thought just hardened my resolve to take out Alec.

My mock fights with Emmett and Rosalie went better. Emmett was gentle, yet still challenging. He pinned me twice before I found a chink in his armor and was finally able to get my teeth to his neck and claim one victory for the day.

"And don't you dare tell me you let me win," I hissed as I jumped off his back, releasing him. He chuckled, but said nothing. He probably didn't want to damage my self esteem; it was dangerously low to begin with.

Rosalie was a different story. Out of all my new family members, she was the one I was least attached to emotionally, and I guessed it was the same from her perspective. She didn't care if she caused me a little bit of pain, and I was more than happy to return the favor. She was quick on her feet and nimble. She wasn't going to let me win, no matter what it meant for my self esteem.

"Ow! Ow! I give!"

I was released from the headlock she had me in. It had felt like she was actually trying to pull my head off, instead of just sparing. Edward was glaring at her, his lips pulled back over his teeth.

"Relax, Edward. No harm done," she told him with a dazzling smile. "I'm just showing her what can actually happen."

Edward's only answer was a low growl.

"Let's take a break," I suggested. We would need both Edward and Rosalie if we had any hope of wining this battle, and at the moment it looked like he was considering taking her out.

Emmett and Rosalie, very wisely, went back into the house. I stayed outside with Edward and Alice.

"You're doing well," Alice complimented, seeming genuine.

Edward nodded in agreement, but we both knew it probably wouldn't be enough.

"So, say we actually do win this thing," I asked quietly, hoping the others in the house couldn't hear from this distance, "then when does it stop? I mean, if we defeat their guard, Aro and his brothers aren't just going to sit by idly, right? They are going to come looking for revenge. Send others, or maybe even come themselves."

To my surprise, Edward shrugged as he replied. "No one has ever defeated the guard before," he said with a dry laugh, "so no one really knows what Aro, Marcus, and Caius would decide to do. Their best fighters would be gone, though they could hope to defeat us through sheer numbers. They could probably gather dozens of average vampires to throw our way."

"Though, without Demetri, they'd have a tough time finding us," Alice remarked with a grin.

"Yes, that's the eternity I want," I added sarcastically, "playing a deadly game of hide and seek with the Volturi." But then another worse thought entered my mind.

"Edward, aren't the Volturi the only ones who control the southern covens? If we defeat their best fighters, who is going to keep those covens in check? If things get bad enough, our secret could be revealed..." This was bad. I was just realizing we were really against a rock and a hard place. Literally damned if we do and damned if we don't. Maybe it would just be easier if they destroyed us. At least the rest of the vampire world wouldn't be threatened by our actions..

"This isn't a good situation," Edward responded, "for either side."

So he had thought about that as well.

"But we will protect you no matter the consequences," he continued.

Of course Edward would rather reveal our existence to the humans than lose me. I sighed. The whole situation just seemed hopeless, no matter the outcome. We either died in a day and a half at the Volturi's hand or we won and condemned ourselves to full fledged war with the humans.

Edward's head swiveled toward the house suddenly. "Carlisle and Esme are discussing hunting groups. Bella, do you want to go with them now? Or we can wait and go with Emmett and Rosalie some time tomorrow?"

"Let's go now." At least hunting would take my mind off things for a few hours.

"I'll go with Emmett and Rosalie," said Alice. "Hopefully Jasper will call before then. I usually can't get any reception in the woods."

We hunted for big game, in hopes of being at the peak of our strength, so our hunt took us several hours away from home. As I hefted the dead black bear away from me, I couldn't help but wonder if it was my last meal. Like Edward, I had found I preferred Mountain Lion, but we didn't have the time to search for the elusive creatures. Bears were much easier to find, having a larger population in the areas, but they just weren't as tasty.

The sun had risen by the time we got home, but thick rain clouds blocked it from view. We had been gone for almost seven hours and were eager to hear if Jasper had called or if Alice has seen any new visions. But there was a different surprise waiting for me at the house.

My first inkling that something was amiss was the shiny rental car parked next to Edward's Volvo and my truck. I gave Edward a confused look, but he didn't meet my eyes. Carlisle and Esme had suddenly sped up, so that they beat us to the door. I wasn't so far away that I couldn't hear the voices, though, when it was opened. Although I had only met her as a human, I recognized Tanya's high voice instantly.

"They picked a lousy time to visit, eh?"

Edward didn't respond. He still wasn't meeting my gaze.

It took about half a second for the pieces to click together. Tanya couldn't pick a lousy time to visit, because Alice would see her decision to visit and put a stop to it. That meant only one thing: Tanya wasn't here by accident. She, and by the sounds of the voices, her entire coven, had been invited. Without me knowing.

I stopped in front of the porch steps. Edward automatically halted as well.

"Tell me what is going on," I demanded. I didn't like being left out of the loop, and he knew it.

"Carlisle called Tanya almost as soon as Jasper left," Edward responded. "He thought it might even the odds a bit."

I could do little more than an uncanny fish impression as I gawked at Edward, with my jaw hanging open. It took almost a minute for me to find coherent words. "And why didn't anyone stop him? They are going to get themselves killed too. And further more, why didn't you tell me what he did?"

Edward held up a hand to silence my rant. "Carlisle can do what he likes. And so can Tanya. She was informed of the situation, and she decided to come, as did the rest of her family. Just like our battle with the newborns last summer, Tanya was allowed to make her own decision. This time they decided they could help. And we didn't tell you, because, well, Alice saw that you would react like this. And at the time, we needed you to concentrate on learning combat skills, not worrying about Tanya and her family."

I huffed, though it sounded more like an enraged shriek, as I stormed into the house. I didn't care that I wasn't being a gracious host, or that they were here to try and save me. Hell, maybe my little temper tantrum would convince them I wasn't worth their lives and they would go home. I could only hope. I stomped up the stairs like a two-year-old, slamming the door to our room in a show of displeasure.

Edward didn't follow me directly. I could hear him apologizing for my behavior, which just made me angrier. Tanya and her sisters, Kate and Irina, didn't seem to have been offended though. I heard them pass it off as a sign of the stress. Kate yelled up the stairs, knowing that I could hear her, that she was touched I was worried about their safety. But she assured me that they weren't going to leave.

As Edward started up the stairs after me, I heard Alice say something about telling me about the others, as well.

"What others?" I asked in a no nonsense voice as soon as Edward entered the room.

"Carlisle also called Reina, Sarita, and Alonso. They are on a plane as we speak."

I wondered if vampires could get sick, because my body was doing a very good impression of nausea. I remembered the conversation Sarita and I'd had just before Christmas. She had promised her family's help if we ever needed it against the Volturi, but I had never intended to call that promise in. Apparently Carlisle had done it for me.

I fought the urge to kick the coffee table through the wall again. Though, with an ironic thought, I realized in all likelihood we would have no need for a coffee table or any of our other belongings once the Volturi were through with us.

Edward seemed to take my silence as a step up from the hissy fit I'd thrown in the yard, so he continued on with more news.

"While we were hunting, Jasper called. He was waiting for his next flight in Heathrow. Alice also saw that Octavian had arrived in Italy, but she couldn't see any decision by Aro, which likely means he's unsure about his course of action. That's good news for us, at least."

"Yeah, great news," I quipped facetiously.

My anger was ebbing, finally, but I still didn't trust myself to go downstairs. The last thing I wanted to do was yell at Carlisle. I dropped onto the couch and turned on the television, looking for a distraction that I wasn't likely to find. Edward sat down beside me without a word, content to wait until I had calmed down again.

I flipped through the channels idly for almost an hour, but nothing caught my attention. I could still hear muted voices from downstairs, but no longer cared to listen to the words. Thus, I practically jumped off the sofa in surprise when Edward suddenly shouted "okay" toward the floor.

"Alice, Rose, and Emmett, along with Tanya's coven, are going hunting," he explained apologetically. "They wanted us to know they would be leaving for a few hours."

I nodded at his explanation. I was a bit beyond caring at this point. Let them go have their last meals in peace.

Edward moved closer to me so he could hold me in his arms. I rested my head against his chest, letting my mind wander. These were the last hours we would have together; I could feel it. I couldn't help but wonder if there was an afterlife waiting for us, and if it was pleasant or not. I knew Edward believed there was nothing for us; that our souls were gone forever. But I still felt like my human self, just stronger, faster, more intelligent, and with cravings of a different sort. I didn't think I'd lost my soul someplace along the way. My mind continued to stray along philosophical courses. I was wondering if a fiery death could possibly rival the pain of the fiery birth that had led me to my current life when Edward interrupted me.

"Are you alright?" he asked tentatively. "You've been staring off into space for the last three hours. You've barely even blinked."

I blinked now and then looked up at his concerned face. "I was just thinking," I replied softly.

Thinking about how pointless this was. I hated the fact that I was the reason my family and my friends would all die. How easy it would be if I could just turn myself in and let the guard do as they wished. Of course, the murders wouldn't stop, but they'd be forced to see that they were wrong. And hopefully they'd catch the person responsible. And my family and friends could continue to live.

It really was like that proverbial light bulb going on. I didn't know how I hadn't thought of it before. I _could_ turn myself in and save the rest of my family. The hardest part would be getting around Alice, but she wasn't here. She was three hours away, in the wilderness, with no way of contacting Edward, Carlisle, or Esme and having them stop me. And by the time she got home, it would be too late already.

Edward's arms tightened around me, as if he unconsciously knew what I was thinking. He would be the other problem. He'd never let me go off on my own, without knowing where I was going. And then, of course, he'd have to avenge me. I couldn't blame him for that. It was the same as I would do for him. Though, if I could keep him in the dark for long enough, maybe he'd come with me unknowingly. Away from his family, he might be more willing to see things my way. We could turn ourselves in, claim Edward had a hand in the murders too, and he wouldn't have to worry about living a moment without me.

I needed to act fast, though. Now that I'd made my decision, I was sure Alice was sprinting for the nearest town with cell phone reception.

"I can't sit here any longer," I complained. "Do you think we can go for a short run? Anything to keep my mind off our problems?"

"Of course," Edward responded, just as I knew he would. He wanted me to be happy, usually above all else. He sprinted to the door and downstairs to let Carlisle and Esme know where we were going. I took advantage of those few seconds to scribble a note for the others. It was simple; I didn't have time for goodbyes.

_I'm sorry. It's the only way. Edward doesn't even know yet._

_Please don't try and avenge us. We're doing this so you can live._

_We love you_.

Then I sprinted after Edward, hoping he wouldn't be suspicious of my lag.

The hardest part was keeping my face normal for Carlisle and Esme. I wanted so badly to hug them goodbye, but I knew that would give me away. Instead, I settled for an impatient sort of look, hoping that they would be fooled as well. To me, my plan seemed painfully transparent.

It wasn't until Edward and I were running through the forest that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

"Do you mind if I lead?" I asked as innocently as possibly.

Always eager to please me, Edward allowed it. I sprinted ahead of him, running in a southernly direction. I had no idea where the Volturi's guard were camped. I was just hoping to run across a trail I recognized before Edward got a good enough whiff to guess my game.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that luck was on my side. I couldn't seem to locate a trail. After a few miles, Edward sprinted so that he was running parallel with me.

"We should turn in another direction," he said kindly. "The Volturi are camped south of Hanover."

If we turned the plan was dead. Perhaps now was the chance to convince Edward to do things my way. "I know," I said simply, speeding up slightly.

I had caught the scent of something on the wind, but there wasn't enough for me to identify even if it was human or vampire. Not yet, at least. I was counting on my superior sense of smell to pick up a trail before Edward did.

Edward, thankfully, had taken my statement to mean that I was aware of the camp and intended to turn before we got there. He allowed me to run ahead for a few more kilometers. I was picking up more of the scent now, and I was thrilled that I recognized it. Jane had passed through here. If I followed her scent, I knew I would find the rest of the guard.

We were two miles outside of Hanover when Edward finally picked up the scent. "Bella, we need to turn now," he said sternly. "We've crossed into territory that the guard has been active in."

"I know," I replied again, not able to keep the guilt out of my voice.

"Bella?" He was slowing down. The truth must finally be dawning on him.

I slowed too, until we both had stopped; Edward was almost a hundred feet behind me.

"I thought you might want to come with me," I said slowly. "It would save you time later, and some grief."

"Bella, don't do this. You're innocent."

"I know that," I snapped. "I'm not doing this because I think I'm guilty. I'm doing this so that the rest of our family doesn't have to die by our sides. Though I'll understand if you want to go back."

Edward seemed to be in shock. He was staring at me with a surprised look on his face.

It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, but I turned my back on my love and started running again. The scent was growing stronger by the foot. I listened for Edward's footfalls to signal he was following, or at least trying to catch me to stop me, but the forest behind me was eerily silent. Maybe he had decided not to follow. It was a bittersweet thought. I'd imagined him beside me when the end came, but I'd hoped he could somehow live without me as well.

I had thought that all would seem dark at this moment; the way the world got dark when there was a solar eclipse. But I had forgotten about the corona, which can only be seen when everything else is dark. There was a corona to my life as well, and I could see it now. I had always been meant to protect, it seemed obvious now. I was never one to fight for myself, only for others. And now I was fighting for my family.

Jane's scent was overpowering now. She had to be close. I started to make noise; purposefully stepping on twigs, kicking rocks, and making the dry leaves rustle so that my presence became known. It was never a good idea to sneak up on a vampire. Of course, she was going to kill me either way, so I wasn't sure why I insisted on being tormented longer.

The forest opened into a small clearing, blanketed in thick ferns. I slowed and halted just within the tree line. I could see Jane now, and I knew she could see my form in the shadows. With no hesitation, I walked out of the forest toward the small form that was waiting for me. If this is what it would take to save Edward, to save my entire family, I would gladly go forward to meet my demise. The life of one traded for the lives of many; it seemed a small price to pay.

Jane smiled at me. She was happy that I had come alone; it probably saved them just as much trouble as it did me. I wondered if she would regret her actions later, when she discovered she had been wrong all along; when the killings didn't stop. No, she was not the type to feel guilt; she was simply doing her job. And I was doing mine.

I wondered briefly where the rest of the guard were. I hadn't picked up their scents along the way. Perhaps they had gone off hunting. The thought caused me to shudder; a couple more humans would be mysteriously dead before the day was through. And there would be one less vampire in the world as well.

As I walked toward Jane, movement in the forest behind her caught my attention. I expected Alec, or perhaps Felix or Demetri to step out. However, it was another feminine form. My steps faltered; my knees were suddenly weak, despite my super human strength. I was looking at a mirror image of myself, identical except for the looks on our faces. My face was covered in shock, my mouth a wide oh, eyes wide with surprise. The vampire across from me was smiling, her milky white teeth glistening in triumph.

I didn't need to hear an explanation; I knew instantly that it had all been a very elaborate set up.

* * *

A/N: I'm not sure if I can wrap up the story in one more chapter, so there might be two more updates yet. We'll all just have to wait and see. Leave a review and let me know what you thought. I love reading your reviews.


	19. Jane

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 19

Jane

I wanted to ask how the Volutri had been able to coordinate all this? Why someone existed who looked and smelled just like me? Why go after me in the first place, when I was so untalented when compared to people like Jane, and Alec, and Alice, and Aro? And was I so transparent that they could see how easily I would turn myself in?

I looked at Jane and my look-a-like. They were smiling at each other. Smiling, like the best hunters, because their prey had come willingly to them. But there was something more. Hidden carefully, but still there in the look they shared. Something close to surprise, perhaps? Had I not arrived when they had expected, maybe?

And then it hit me. I had not arrived when they had expected me. I'd come alone. They'd expected to see me in a day, surrounded by the rest of my family on the field of battle. They really didn't know that I had no sense of self preservation, especially when it meant others were in danger. They had used me to get to all the Cullens, and here I was alone.

If I died it didn't matter.

They'd still go after my family. That had been the goal the entire time.

I had to escape, to warn them. My plan suddenly shifted, and I was shocked to find that I did have a survival instinct, but again, it was linked to those I could save. If I died now, so would they.

I started backing away. I knew I didn't have much of a chance with two against one. But if I could outrun them, for a mile or so, maybe Edward was still around... It was the only straw I could grasp. Of course Edward wouldn't still be around. He would either be by my side or back with his family; he wasn't going to dawdle in the forest while I sacrificed myself. But just, maybe...

"Oh, but you just arrived Bella, don't leave yet." Jane was still smiling, but now it was a warning. I couldn't be allowed to blow the whistle on them.

"Bella. So this is who I've been pretending to be for the last few months," my look-a-like commented. I had expected a voice like mine to emanate from my face, but instead I was shocked to hear a soft, low pitched voice with a tinge of a French accent.

Another piece of the puzzle fell into place with surprisingly clarity. She hadn't known my name, which, of course, was why Alice hadn't been able to see her in her visions. The Volturi had probably gotten the idea from Victoria and her newborns.

"Isn't she lovely?" Jane asked me, looking at my look-a-like the way a new mother looks at her child.

"So you made her, then?" I replied. "Must have been tough finding someone who looked just like me. Had to go all the way to France?"

Jane shook her head. "Oh no," she said, gloating now. "I didn't make her. I found her. When my master sent us to Quebec. She was causing all that trouble. Of course, the others wanted to kill her, but I saw too much potential. So I told them I took care of her, but needed to clean up some of the mess. They went back to Italy without me. That's when I started training Lisette."

"I'm very good at what I do," Lisette admitted. "Even when I was a human I was very good at making myself look like others. Of course, I needed makeup and wigs, then." Her body shimmered, shaking the way Jake did before he morphed into a wolf. Then with a small pop, Angela Weber was standing where a picture perfect image of me had been.

I couldn't hide my shock. My jaw was practically at my knees. So Edward had been right, it was a talent. Except that it wasn't just a talent that targeted me; Lisette could target any person she had ever seen a picture of. Her skin was still pale and there was no way to hide the crimson eyes, but otherwise it was as if I was looking at my high school friend again. Would I be able to attack this vampire while she stood in the body of one of my dearest friends?

"You've been in Forks?" I said with a strangled voice. How long had it been since I talked with Charlie? A few weeks, at least. My body felt heavy with dread. Would they have done anything to him? Jacob surely would have contacted me if anything had happened, right?

Lisette, still in Angela's body, smiled at me, but shook her head. She pulled a thin book out of the bag that was slung over her shoulder and threw it on the ground. I recognized a Forks High yearbook.

"So you're the one who broke into the library?" I was looking at Jane now.

"That was the hardest part, you know. Figuring our where to get a picture of you. Obviously I couldn't send Lisette anywhere near Edward to see you in person, because he'd simply see her thoughts and destroy the game. And then it was just a matter of waiting around until they decided to take you out in public, so Lisette could get your scent. Once she had your looks and your smell, it was a simple matter to kill enough students to get Aro's notice. Of course, you helped. I never dreamed you'd actually visit one of the murder scenes. It really did make my job easier."

My hopes of escape were rapidly disappearing. Every step back I took caused the two vampires facing me to take two steps in my direction. At least I could hope to understand why all this had happened before I died. Maybe, now that Lisette knew my name, Alice would be able to get a vision. The longer I could hold them off, the better that chance got.

"It sounds like you went through an awful lot of trouble just to frame me," I replied, allowing my voice to drip with sarcasm.

Jane's smile vanished. "There is no amount of trouble I wouldn't have gone through to frame you," she spat. I knew she didn't like me, but her vehement response was surprising. I didn't realize that she downright hated me.

Jane watched my face carefully. I knew she saw the surprise and confusion.

"I've never encountered someone like you," she continued, still scowling. "I knew, that day in Italy when I couldn't cause you pain, that I would have to destroy you eventually. You are too much of a risk, not only to me, but to my masters. If you can block me, you can surely block my brother, and any other vampire who can touch the minds of others. No, you are too much of a risk to be allowed to survive. Of course, I needed a convenient excuse. Aro is blinded by his familiarity with your Carlisle." She said the name like it was a curse. "But not even he can turn his back when his own laws are being broken. That is why I saw such potential in Lisette. She could be my project. Aro needn't know anything about her. And after I got rid of you, and hopefully a few members of your freakish coven, Lisette could help us with other troublesome groups."

"He'll know everything, the first time he touches you or her," I responded. Surely she must know that.

"Yes, but by then you and the rest of your coven will be gone," Jane responded, the smile returning to her lips. She seemed to be imagining that moment. "And my master will realize that I've done him a great service and I will be forgiven."

Was Jane really that valuable to Aro that he would forgive this, after she had flaunted so many of their rules? She seemed confident of it.

Jane and Lisette continued to stalk towards me. Could I outrun them?

There was a loud rustling of pine needles from one of the fir trees, causing all of us to look up. Jane hissed in anger, while I practically cheered with relief.

Edward had not abandoned me.

I instantly wanted to ask what had kept him? What had he heard? But I never got the chance.

He had barely touched the ground when Jane's sadistic talent was focused on him. I watched in horror as his knees crumpled and his body writhed uncontrollably. Jane didn't seem to like his silence though, and I saw her brow furrow in concentration.

I wanted to rip her head off, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the horrific sight of Edward being tortured. I wanted to hold him and somehow envelop him with my strange gift that made me immune to Jane's sadism, the way I protected others from his mind reading.

I actually blinked in surprise as the idea sunk in. If I could stop Edward from reading the minds of others, why couldn't I do the same to Jane? I concentrated on Edward's mind, willing it to be protected. It was easy, after all the practice I'd had on my other family members.

His body went suddenly still.

Jane snarled and I saw her redouble her concentration, but Edward didn't thrash around anymore.

Was he injured? Was that possible? I was still too new to this life to understand all the ways vampires could be hurt.

Jane turned suddenly, looking at Lisette. I watched Angela's form fall to the ground, screaming like someone was burning her alive. Jane hissed in frustration and released her victim, turning back to Edward.

Why wouldn't he get up?

Finally, after a few seconds that felt like hours, Edward sprung to his feet. He looked completely unharmed. When he turned to look at me, there was an expression on his face that I couldn't place. Awe, perhaps, that the pain had stopped? I'd have to explain to him how I shielded his mind once we were out of this mess.

"I understand already," he whispered.

Did he mean he understood how I had protected him? Or did he mean he had heard Jane and understood how I had been framed?

"Both."

It was my turn to look at him strangely. It was like he was suddenly able to read my thoughts. But of course, that was impossible. He'd probably just been answering something Jane or Lisette had thought.

Lisette picked herself off the ground and her form shimmered again; she returned to looking just like me. It was a smart choice, on her part, since Edward would have a much harder time fighting someone who looked like me.

Jane was furious now. With a shriek she charged at me. Edward, of course, positioned himself between us in an eighth of a second. Jane bowled into him with the sound of a granite slab rolling down the side of a mountain. Lisette was right behind her leader. With a graceful leap, she vaulted over Edward and Jane and crashed into the ground right in front of me.

The vampire inside my head was trying to push into control again, but not because she was thirsty, but because she was threatened. She wanted to attack blindly, to hurl myself with all my strength at my attacker. But I knew fighting like a newborn would mean defeat, so I pushed her away. I recalled everything Alice and the rest of my family had tried to teach me about fighting. I fell into a crouch as Lisette lunged at me, but once again, Edward was between us before she could even touch me.

He was going to have to make up his mind. He couldn't fight them both at the same time. He had to leave one to challenge me.

Edward snarled loudly and lunged at Lisette. The force of his impact sent them both sailing across the small clearing. Jane didn't even look back at them before she ran at me again.

It looked as though Edward had made up his mind. I wondered if he had looked into their minds and tried to judge who the tougher fighter was?

I stayed in my crouch as Jane jumped at me, waiting for the exact moment to throw my weight up and back. My opponent was flipped backwards with my momentum.

Any vampire as old as Jane should have seen that coming. I couldn't help but smile as I realized her ability to make others feel pain meant she had never felt the need to learn how to fight properly.

Jane skidded along her back, but had barely come to a stop before she came at me again. She was a quick learner. She came in lower this time, so that I couldn't throw her again. Her lips were pulled back over her teeth in a silent snarl as she hit me.

We both rolled with the impact. Jane's small hands were searching for my neck in our tangle of limbs, but my hands found her wrists first. I was easily stronger than her, thanks to my own human blood that still lingered in my body. I squeezed hard enough to cause her to cry out in pain before I brought a foot up, and with a swift kick to her stony gut, sent her flying off me.

Jane recovered quickly, but didn't seem so eager to engage me again. She seemed to settle for defense instead, as we both slowly circle each other. I wanted desperately to look over at Edward and make sure he was ok, but I knew looking away would make me vulnerable. It was hard enough keeping my concentration so that Edward's mind wouldn't lose the protection I was giving it. I had never had to shield anyone from Edward's thoughts for this long, and I didn't know how long I could last.

There was a metallic shredding sound from somewhere to my left, and I couldn't help but turn my head toward it. Edward had just ripped off one of Lisette's arms. Well, one of my arms, really. It was bizarre watching him attack me.

Jane had looked too, to my surprise. She really wasn't any better at fighting than I was. Her eyes narrowed when she saw that Edward was winning his battle. Once he was finished with Lisette, he would be free to help me. And she knew she couldn't hope to defeat us both, at least not without her talent.

With reckless abandon, Jane charged me again. I side stepped her, though, catching her right hand as she passed. I pushed back on two of her granite fingers, bending them back beyond what was a normal range of motion. It was harder than wood, or steel even, but Jane's fingers bent slowly under my touch as she danced in pain. She aimed a desperate kick at my chest, which I didn't see coming until it was too late. As her foot connected, I pulled as hard as I could on her hand. With a sickening snapping sound, like a tree splintering and falling, Jane's index and middle fingers were ripped off.

I skidded across the ground from the kick, pulling up grass and dirt as I went. Jane was shrieking in pain, though, clutching at her mangled hand, instead of pressing the advantage her kick had gained her.

Knowing I shouldn't be enjoying this as much as I did, I grinned as I chucked the two useless appendages into the woods. They made satisfying clunks as they hit trees. Two late, I realized I shouldn't have done that, because now I would have to hunt them down to burn them.

More metallic shrieks ripped through the air. I looked over just in time to see Edward beheading me, or rather, Lisette. I had predicted he would have a tough time fighting someone who looked just like me; apparently I had been very wrong. It was disturbing to watch him finish tearing her apart.

Jane was watching as well, though clearly still in agony over her hand. She gave me one, last furtive glance before deciding that she needed to save her own skin. Jane turned her back on me and sprinted into the forest.

Edward, meanwhile, had produced a lighter out of nowhere. I was forced to look away as he tossed a head with my own face on it into the flames. Less than an hour ago, I had thought that it truly would be me on that pyre.

"I let Jane escape," I grumbled as Edward walked over to me. I still wasn't comfortable enough to go stand near the fire. And if I had thought the smell was sickening as a human it was nothing as a vampire; the sweet aroma of burning vampire flesh filled my nostrils, making me want to gag. It was bad enough to make me stop breathing all together.

"You did extraordinary," he replied, before taking me in his arms and kissing me roughly. "But if you ever get a harebrained idea like that again..."

"I know," I interrupted. "I'm sorry. I really am."

Edward smiled suddenly. "I know you are." He sounded almost giddy about it, too. Did prolonged exposure to Jane's talent cause brain damage?

We were still in a lot of trouble. Jane was surely concocting some scheme that involved us attacking her unprovoked to spur the Volturi guard to attack before Octavian returned. And our only proof of Jane's guilt was now smoldering here beside us. I didn't see anything to smile about.

"I assure you, I'm not brain damaged."

"I never said..." My voice trailed off. Edward was grinning like the Cheshire cat now. I hadn't said anything about brain damage, I had only thought it.

The shock was enough to end my concentration on my shield. Edward's mind was vulnerable to attack once again.

His smile faded as well.

"You can hear my thoughts!" I practically shouted.

"Not any more," he mumbled, looking like a kid who was just told Santa Claus isn't real.

It took me a few seconds to understand what had occurred. "Ohh," I muttered as my brain wrapped itself around it. No one had noticed earlier, because no one else in my family had a skill that I was normally immune too. Whenever I protected someone, they were inside my defenses. So for Edward, that meant he could hear my thoughts, but only when I was protecting him. My shocked expression slowly turned into a grin.

"Do it again?" he asked softly. I could see the longing on his face.

"My brain is tired," I responded as I shook my head. It did take a lot of mental energy to shield people. "Maybe later." My grin hadn't faded yet. I liked this development. It meant I was still in control of how and when Edward could hear my thoughts, so my privacy was still protected. Not to mention I was going to have fun using this as a punishment or reward.

Edward only looked despondent for half a minute before he got over it.

I glanced over at the fire whose flames were licking at the now unrecognizable pieces of Lisette's body and shuddered. I had been so sure he wouldn't be able to destroy Lisette simply because she looked like me, and I knew he could never hurt me.

"How did you do it?" I sighed, glancing at the flames again.

"Do what?" He followed my gaze with a confused expression.

"Destroy Lisette while she was wearing my skin? I couldn't have destroyed her if she had transformed herself into you. It would have been hard enough with her looking like Angela."

"It wasn't easy," Edward responded slowly. "And if you hadn't been here, I'm not sure I would have been so successful. Once I got over the shock of being able to hear your thoughts, I concentrated more on Lisette's mind than her body. Her thoughts were the polar opposite of yours; she was never a nice person. I saw enough to know that she used her talent, even when she was human, to intentionally hurt other people. Her cruelty made it impossible for me to confuse you two in any way."

"Oh."

Edward let me ponder what he had said before adding, "you should go find Jane's fingers and throw them on the fire. Then we should go home. Alice is probably worried sick."

"And ready to bite my head off." I wasn't looking forward to facing my family after this.

It only took a few minutes for me to comb the wooded area where I had tossed Jane's digits after pulling them off. I dumped them onto the fire unceremoniously, watching them flare up before Edward and I began running back in the direction we had come from.

"Where were you, by the way?" I asked as we ran. "I didn't think you had followed me."

"You surprised me," Edward replied, giving me a grim look. "I couldn't think for almost two minutes. In the end, of course, I could never leave you. I followed, but when I got close enough to hear Jane's thoughts I decided to be more stealthy. Wait until the right time to make my appearance."

"You should have run!" I shoot back, horrified that he would have sacrificed himself still, "Once you learned the truth, someone needed to tell the others."

"I told you Bella, I could never leave you."

"And if I hadn't been able to shield you from Jane?"

Edward winced, and I knew the afternoon would have turned out very differently if that had been the case. He'd rather die with me than warn his family; that annoyed me.

"We survived. And we know exactly what is going on now. That's what counts now."

I looked at Edward incredulously. "And our main piece of evidence is now nothing but ashes. It'll be our word against Jane. Even if we get in contact with Jasper, he has no real proof to give Aro."

"It'll work out, Bella."

Edward seemed more confident than I was. We'd won one battle, but we were still facing an entire war.

* * *

A/N: Rejoice, there is one more chapter to go (plus an epilogue, which will be attached to the end of said chapter)! Review and let me know how you liked it.


	20. Acquittal and Epilogue

Legal Disclaimer: No money is being made from this fan fic and no copyright infringement is intended. Everything belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just playing in her sandbox.

* * *

Chapter 20

Acquittal

The trepidation built as I glimpsed our house through the trees. By now everyone, except Jasper, would be home and would know that I had tried to turn myself in. I wasn't expecting a warm welcome, so I was a bit surprised when Esme sprinted out of the house as we emerged through the trees and hugged me so tightly that it actually hurt. When she finally released me, she did the same to Edward.

Alice, however, was less warm. For someone so small, she was downright scary when she was angry. However, whatever was going through her head must not have matched her face, because Edward stepped playfully behind me to hide.

"Don't let her get me," he teased loudly, causing Emmett to snicker.

Alice hissed in annoyance, but continued to march determinedly toward me. "Bella, you are the most incorrigible, irresponsible, fool hardy vampire I have ever met. Do you have any idea how worried I was when I got the vision of your plan? It was the most stupid, foolish idea in the history of the world. I can't believe it actually worked."

My mouth fell open. "What do you mean it worked? We destroyed the best piece of evidence we had of my innocence. And now Jane has a great excuse to call an attack before Octavian returns with Aro's orders."

A tiny smile broke through Alice's scowl. "Jane's scared stiff of you now."

"She's what?" She hadn't seemed terrified when she was trying to pull my head off an hour ago.

Alice made an annoyed sound in the back of her throat. "She's in no hurry to meet you in battle ever again. I saw her tell the others a highly abridged version of what happened in that clearing. Despite the "atrocious wrong" you committed against her, she's urging the others not to retaliate. She's not sure yet if you can shield more than one person at a time, but she's not going take the risk to find out."

"But they still think I'm a mass murder who's flaunting the 'no telling humans about vampires' rule," I replied. "And if Aro orders them to attack me, and the rest of us, they aren't going to disobey."

Alice's smile actually got wider.

"What?" Clearly everyone else knew something that I didn't.

"If you hadn't been off stressing the rest of us out, you would know already," she sang.

"Just tell me, Alice."

"Jasper got to Aro in time," she breathed, not bothering to hide her relief. "Octavian hadn't left yet, and once Jasper showed Aro our evidence, Aro realized that the attack was unwarranted."

"So Jasper is coming home, and Octavian will tell the rest of the guard to stand down?" It seemed too good to be true.

Alice's smile faltered slightly. I felt Edward step away from me, no longer playful, but serious.

"Not exactly. Aro decided he should accompany Jasper and Octavian on the return journey."

For the third time that day, my jaw dropped open. I couldn't picture Aro, Marcus, or Caius getting off their royal butts and going anywhere, never mind half way across the globe. They didn't even hunt for themselves!

"Aro is coming here?" I asked, hoping I had somehow misheard.

"He wants to see what is going on for himself," Alice replied, now subdued.

And I'd just partially mutilated his favorite creation. Lovely.

"How soon will they be here?" Edward interrupted.

"Twelve hours, give or take an hour. I'll know for certain once they land."

I looked at Edward cautiously. "Is this good or bad?"

"Good...I think." He seemed to look at Carlisle for confirmation.

"Aro is strict about his rules," Carlisle responded, "but he's not unfeeling either. The fact that he has decided to come himself should be viewed optimistically. Aro isn't the type to get his own hands dirty."

"But how will he react to today's fight?" I pressed.

Carlisle shrugged. "No one has ever attacked the Volturi's guard and lived to tell about it, so I have no reference to guess at Aro's reaction."

"All Aro has to do is touch Jane to learn the truth," Edward added.

"He usually reads Demetri's thoughts first," Carlisle responded. "If he sees Jane's version there, he may feel we are the aggressors."

"Then we need to make sure he reads Jane's thoughts first," said Edward. "And I'm sure she'll be trying to avoid that."

"Or better yet, if he sees our version first," I added.

"I can get us to them first," put in Alice. "I can read Jasper's future easily enough for that."

"Then that's our plan," Edward responded. The rest of my family nodded in agreement.

Eleven hours later, I found myself riding shotgun in Edward's Volvo as we headed toward the airport. Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice were crammed into the back seat. Carlisle and Esme were speeding along behind us in the Mercedes.

A quick peek in the rear view mirror assured me that Alice was still wearing a smug grin. It had been her idea to meet Jasper, Octavian, and Aro at the airport, since the Volturi's guard would have no idea what was going on. This way we would be assured that Aro would hear our side of the story first. Plus, a warm reception and a waiting car would be sure to make a good impression with Aro, who hadn't run anywhere in over five hundred years and probably had no intention of starting anytime soon.

Edward took the curve of the off ramp about forty miles faster than suggested while I shot him a confused look. We had gotten off the highway several exits before the one for the International Airport.

"Shortcut?" I asked.

"Really Bella, you don't expect Aro to land his private jet at a _public_ airport, do you?" Edward pretended to be affronted by the very idea, but his voice was also mocking Aro's pageantry.

"Of course not," I mumbled, pretending not to be shocked by the affluence. At least the Cullens didn't have a private jet...yet. Hopefully Edward wouldn't get any ideas.

We were driving down the small, two lane road that led to the private airport when Alice murmured "ohh," from the back seat.

Edward immediately slammed on the brakes so he could take the right hand turn that we were about to pass.

"You could have seen that sooner," he growled.

"It's not my fault ground control suddenly changed the hanger," she shot back. "We're early anyway."

Edward picked up speed again after his sharp turn. Small aircraft hangers flew by my window. If I had still been human I wouldn't have been able to see anything except colored blurs. We parked alongside a large hanger, painted white with blue stripes along its sides.

"How long til they land?" I asked Alice.

"Ten minutes," she replied. "You can see their plane circling in for the landing." She pointed out the front windshield toward a barely visible speck in the partly cloudy night sky.

Edward turned off the engine and his head lights as Carlisle did the same. He was making me feel a bit like some mob member in one of those old movies, waiting down some dark alley for their client to arrive.

I watched the lights on the plane get closer and closer. It wasn't until the huge jet actually touched down that I realized how big it was for this airport. Most of the planes had been small twin engine Cessna's and other personal craft. Aro's private plane was bigger than Air Force One.

The massive jet taxied down the runway before finally turning toward the hanger where we were waiting. I knew the three vampires on board could see our cars, despite the lack of lights. I wondered who the pilot was, and if he were human could he see us too?

The plane pulled into the hanger and I heard its gigantic engines sputter and die over the squeal of the brakes. Edward got silently out of the car, and the rest of us followed suit. Alice was bouncing on her heels, a huge smile across her face in anticipation of being reunited with Jasper. She also felt that we had won, and her spirits had been lifted for that reason as well. I, on the other hand, would reserve judgment about who had won after we had met with Aro and the Italian vampires were safely on the plane back to Europe.

I heard Aro before I saw him. He seemed to be speaking jovially with Jasper and Octavian as they got off their plane and exited the hanger. They didn't seem at all surprised to see us waiting, though Octavian didn't look pleased to be surrounded by Cullens instead of his comrades. Aro looked weaker than my human memories recalled. He still moved gracefully, but his slow, cautious gait reminded me of just how old he was and how little exercise he got.

"Carlisle, my old friend!" He raised his arms in greeting.

Carlisle strode forward and grasped one of the brittle looking hands fondly. "I only wish we were meeting under better circumstances," he replied.

It took Aro only a moment to download all of Carlisle's thoughts, but my adopted father didn't seem to mind the invasion of his privacy. Perhaps it was all those years he had spent with the Volturi that made him used to it, or the fact that Edward was usually in his head anyway. Aro blinked slowly, before pulling his hands away from Carlisle's.

"I see what you mean, my friend." Aro gave me a strange look before turning his gaze to Edward.

"It seems our sides have come to blows before my arrival," he wheezed. "I would very much like to hear the account first hand, and since your lovely wife has a most remarkable gift, I'll need your version."

"Of course." Edward stepped forward just as purposefully as Carlisle had and held his hand out to Aro.

I hated watching Aro sift through Edward's mind. Every tender moment between the two of us, every loving word, every argument was laid out for Aro to witness. I wanted to block Edward's mind and protect our private moments, but I knew this was the whole reason we'd driven out here. We had gotten to Aro first, and he needed to know the truth behind the Dartmouth murders and Jane's plot. Only then would I be acquitted.

When Aro withdrew his hand and severed the connection between his mind and Edward's he looked unconcerned. Panic quickly whelmed up inside of me. Did he not believe us? Was I condemned for attacking his Jane?

"You will allow me to hear Jane's side of the story before I pass judgment." It was clear from Aro's tone that it wasn't a question that could be negotiated upon.

Octavian's face grew hopeful at the mention of Jane; he clearly wanted to get back to his comfort zone.

"Of course," Carlisle responded.

Carlisle walked beside Aro as we turned back to our cars. He opened the right rear passenger door graciously and waited while Aro slid in. Octavian got in the other side, followed closely by Jasper. Carlisle also held the door for Esme before walking around the front and getting in himself. I followed Edward back to the Volvo and soon we were speeding toward Hanover.

We pulled off the road near a popular hiking area. I shuddered at the thought that the Volturi were living off the hapless hikers. Edward had plucked the location of the Vulturi camp out of Octavian's mind while we drove.

I wanted to run through the woods, but Aro was either so weak or so royal that he insisted on walking, albeit at a quick pace. A human would have called it a jog. For me, it was tortuously slow. Octavian seemed as impatient as I was, and finally got permission from his master to sprint ahead and alert his companions to our arrival. It wasn't long before I heard him returning, along with several other pairs of feet. The guard had come to us.

Carlisle halted, so the rest of us followed suit. He had left a wide gulf between us and the Volturi guard, who were emerging from between the trees about fifty feet in front of us. Aro continued to walk forward to meet his guard.

I couldn't help but feel a little smug as I identified Jane's terrified face. I instantly reached out and protected the minds of my family members, not wanting to wait until the defense was actually needed.

Demetri immediately strode forward, his hand extended. Apparently this was the common way he reported what had transpired.

Aro took the hand graciously, but for only a few seconds.

"I am afraid you are mistaken about quite a few details, Demetri."

Demetri seemed to shrink back. He wasn't used to being chastised.

"Of course, these errors are not your fault," Aro continued. He paused for a moment, his eyes wandering to Jane, who was loitering at the rear of the guard. Her tiny frame was almost totally hidden behind Felix's hulking body. "Jane, my child, will you not come greet me?"

It was only then that I realized Jane hadn't looked terrified because of me, but because of Aro. She couldn't disobey her master, but she came forward with a definite tremble. She did not extend her shaking hands, however. She would wait to be ordered to give up her traitorous thoughts.

"Give me your thoughts," Aro said softly, as if he were talking to a naughty child instead of a murderous vampire.

Jane reached her right hand forward, and I saw the gaping holes in her flesh had healed over, but the hand still looked mangled and deformed. Another smug smile lifted my lips.

Aro touched Jane's hand, holding it in his for almost a minute with his eyes closed, absorbing the information that he found there. When he finally dropped the limb, he sighed.

"You have been bad, Jane." That was the understatement of the century.

She shrunk back from her master. Alec moved to her side, shielding her protectively with his own body. He didn't understand yet the rules she had flaunted and broken.

"I did it for you, master. You know that."

"I do," Aro replied, again in a tone of voice a grandfather might use to reprimand a young grandchild. "But you were misguided, young one." Only Aro could get away with calling Jane young.

His eyes flicked toward the hand I had partially destroyed. "But I think you have been punished enough. Your hand will always sear with the pain of your missing digits, and I think that will serve as a permanent reminder of the rules you broke. Thankfully, there was no harm done in the long run. The humans will forget the murders after a while, and dismiss them as they always do. And this Lisette, despite being remarkably talented, met the fate she was destined to receive when I sent you to Quebec in the first place. I do not think we have any more business here."

I couldn't help it, my mouth fell open. Jane was getting away with it, without so much as a verbal reprimand. If I had known this in advance, I would have ripped off a few more of her appendages. My brain was screaming about how unfair this was. Had it been any of us, we would be kindling by now.

Edward closed the half foot that had been between us, and put his arm around me. "Let it go," he breathed so lightly that even I almost didn't hear him. I had forgotten that he could hear my thoughts while I was protecting him.

"I thank you for your hospitality, Carlisle," Aro whispered, "especially under the given circumstances. I'm sorry that I can not stay and visit with you, but I think it is best if we leave immediately."

"Feel free to borrow my car," Carlisle offered helpfully, "so that you don't have to run back to the airport." It was a polite way of getting the Volturi as far away from us as possible as soon as possible.

"Thank you, my old friend, but I think my guard will walk with me. I know they are confused about what is going on and I owe them an explanation."

The guard looked like they agreed. Alec was staring at Jane in disbelief, and Demetri looked like he was less forgiving than Aro.

"You and your family are always welcome in Volterra, Carlisle. I'm sure Marcus and Caius would love to see you again." I tried to imagine Marcus looking excited about anything; nothing came to mind. Edward grinned at me as he saw the thought. "And of course, there is always a place in my guard for Alice, Edward, and now Bella."

I tried not to grimace at the thought.

Edward's grin vanished. "As always, we must politely decline. Our place is here with our family."

Aro nodded in acceptance; it seemed like he had been expecting that response.

And with that, it was over. Aro and his guard began walking away from us, in the general direction of the airport. We waited for them to get out of sight before anyone spoke.

"They're walking?" Emmett asked incredulously. "It'll take them two days to get back to the airport."

Edward snorted. "Felix will carry Aro, so they can run, but Aro didn't want us to see the indignity of it."

As humorous as that mental picture was, I couldn't help but feel bitter about Jane's lack of punishment.

"Did you really expect him to destroy her?" Edward asked, picking the thought out of my brain.

I cringed at the invasion. I wasn't as used to this as the rest of his family. I immediately ended the protection that enabled Edward to read my thoughts.

"They wanted to destroy me simply for knowing your secret. I thought Jane might at least get yelled at."

Edward shook his head. "The Volturi are no less corrupt than any other government in this world. Jane is far to valuable to Aro for him to destroy her over something so petty in his mind. In fact, despite what he said about Lisette, he wishes I wouldn't have killed her. She would have added nicely to his collection."

I shook my head in disgust.

"And he wasn't at all angry about what I had done to Jane?"

"He wasn't happy about it, but he isn't foolish enough to start a battle over it. Jane isn't the only one scared by your talents, Bella. A defeat of his entire guard would make Aro and his brothers look weak in the eyes of other vampires, or so they fear. Aro is going to leave us alone, simply because he doesn't want to deal with other uprisings."

"Relax, Bella," Alice said perkily. "We won. They're gone, and they don't intend to come back for awhile. You scare them too much."

After so many months of being on edge, relaxing was something I wasn't used to doing. But then again, I still had all eternity to figure it out again. I let a smile spread across my face before I threw my arms around Edward in celebration. We still had forever together.

* * *

Epilogue

Dartmouth campus was decorated with multi-colored, fallen leaves. It wasn't the type of day when most humans thought to go out for a picnic on the quad, but it was a perfect day for vampires. The cloudy sky hid the sun, but didn't threaten rain yet. The blustery fall wind had died for the day, and it was warm for a mid-October day. Students criss-crossed the grassy, leaf covered quad on their way to and from their classes. A few loitered on benches, reading thick text books or listening to music while taking in the nice weather before winter came.

It was a little over a year since I'd left my weak human body behind and chosen to become a vampire. Being around humans now was still difficult, but not as impossible as it had been that first year. Whenever a breeze blew and my nostrils filled with the scent of students, my throat would burn, but my mind was able to keep my body in check. I wasn't quite ready to start taking classes in person yet, but Edward felt confident that I would reach that milestone for the spring semester. For the fall, I was enrolled online again.

"Where did you manage to find stilettos in that size?" Rosalie asked Alice, breaking into my thoughts.

Edward snorted as Alice's silent answer flickered through his head. "Trust me, Rose, you _really_ don't want to know."

Emmett laughed too, then refocused the video camera he was holding. "Smile, Jasper," he shouted, his voice carrying easily across the grassy lawn.

This was the reason we were here "picnicking." Jasper was fulfilling his end of the losing bet he'd made with Emmett almost a year and a half ago. Esme had brought all the right accessories for us. We were sitting on two huge blankets, with a large wicker picnic basket in the middle. It was even loaded with food, though I thought it was a great waste. Edward had promised we'd drop it off at the local food bank on the way home if it made me happy.

"By the way, Bella, thanks for not killing anyone," Emmett mumbled, not taking his eyes off the viewfinder. He was being more than a little smug about his win. Despite what Jane had wanted everyone to think, I had indeed survived my first year as a newborn without killing anyone. Of course, the physical proof had arrived only a few weeks ago; my eyes were now the same honey color as Edward's. This was the reason Jasper was now strutting toward us in brilliant red high heels and a knee-length black cocktail dress. He was wearing a red jacket over the dress, mostly to hide his scarred arms, but also because it matched the heels. It didn't matter to Alice that her husband was walking around an ivy league campus in drag; it was more important that he was fashionable.

Edward put his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly as Jasper came closer. I was slightly envious of how graceful he was, even in those ridiculous heels. If I were still human, I would have been walking like my legs were made of Jello.

A few of the students stopped to gawk, but Jasper gave them such scathing looks that they quickly hurried on their way. I saw one girl take a quick picture with her cell phone while she walked and someone cat called out of one of the dormitory windows. But Jasper's humiliation was mostly for our own amusement.

Alice, as promised, was using my camera to snap photos of her lover as he sashayed toward us.

"I want one of those framed," I told her, grinning when Jasper heard and scowled at me.

When Jasper finally finished strutting around the quad, he collapsed onto our blanket. "I want to burn these later," he hissed as he tossed the heels at Alice, who deftly caught them.

She pursed her lips and glared at him. Destruction of designer anything was a cardinal sin to Alice.

"You're a good sport," Esme cooed in a soothing voice, placing a gentle hand on Jasper's shoulder.

"Good sport my ass," Emmett responded. "This humiliation is nothing compared to what he would have faced if he'd backed out."

"You couldn't kill just one little human?" Jasper said to me, while ignoring his brother. "A sick one, maybe?"

I laughed at his thought. I knew he didn't mean it; he was just annoyed that his record was still the worst out of all the Cullens.

"Sorry, Jasper. Emmett bribed me to stay strictly vegetarian."

Jasper ignored the jibe as he looked around to make sure no students were still watching us. In half a second he pulled off the dress and pulled on jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He chucked the dress at Alice too.

"It's going to rain in ten minutes, if anyone cares," she said, sounding disinterested as she neatly folded the dress and place it with the shoes.

"I think most college students go inside when it rains," Edward pointed out. "So we should probably go."

"Really, you think?" I teased. I knew that sitting out in the rain would only gather strange looks from the humans.

We stood up as a group and slowly gathered our things, trying not to move any faster than the average human would. Edward took my hand as we walked toward the parking lot. I sighed contently.

"What are you thinking?" he asked with a half smile on his lips.

"Oh, nothing," I replied, enjoying toying with him. After leaving him with a few annoyed seconds of mental silence I reached out and wrapped my defensive quirk around his mind, allowing him into my thoughts.

"I'm just happy," I added, showing him everything I was happy about at the same time. His face was at the forefront, where it would stay for eternity.

The End

* * *

A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed reading Corona. I know I enjoyed writing it! Please leave me one last review with your final thoughts and any questions. I think I tied up all the loose ends, but if you think I missed something, please let me know. If you leave a signed review I can reply to you and answer your questions.

If you like my writing, please go read some of my other fan fics or add me to your author altert. Although I intend to start working on one of my own stories next, you never know when a plot bunny might attack me and I'll post a one-shot or something.

Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. You guys rock.


End file.
